Bob Blackman, national secretary for construction at union Unite, has announced his retirement after 12 years in the job.

Blackman, who retires on 1 May, is responsible for the building, civil engineering, construction, thermal insulation, building materials and supplies area of the UK鈥檚 biggest union.

A former T&G national secretary, Blackman was recently instrumental in agreeing deals for workers on the Olympics and Crossrail projects after pay negotiations broke down with the Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA).

A replacement has not yet been appointed, but sources say Brian Boyd, national officer for aviation, is a favourite. An announcement will be made in the next few weeks.

One union member said: 鈥淏oyd has done a great job representing BA [British Airways] staff and we鈥檝e heard that he will take on the construction sector.鈥

Derek Simpson, general secretary at Unite, is set to make an official announcement over the next few weeks.

Topics