Gibraltarian wins second term at head of UK transport union

Gibraltarian trade unionist Manuel Cortes has won a second term as General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association [TSSA], an independent union for the transport and travel industries in the UK and Ireland.

Mr Cortes won 66% of the vote on a turnout of 19% of the union’s 17,970 eligible voters.

“There is much work to be done alongside our members across the transport and travel industries in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland who continue to face attacks on their jobs, wages, pensions, well-being and safety at work,” Mr Cortes said after the result was announced.

“Sadly, the Tories will go to any lengths to make working people pay a heavy price for their Brexit mess which is already having adverse effects on our members across Britain and Ireland.”

“On my watch, our union will always be ready to fight extremely hard for our members interests.”

Mr Cortes will serve a second five-year term and said the union would champion public ownership of all modes of public transport.

“A system that continues to prioritise the extraction of profits rather than their re-investment to improve customer transport services and industry safety means that our members continue to need - and deserve - a strong campaigning union,” he said.

Next year marks the TSSA’s 120^th anniversary and Mr Cortes, who will celebrate his 50^th birthday in 2017, said a key aim was to grow its numbers.