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in 1988, with
Switzer serving as one of its five assistant general secretaries. In 1990, the union appointed her to the trade union section of the Labour NEC, the first woman ever to represent the section. With Gill's retirement imminent, she stood in the election to succeed him, but was defeated
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57:, and became increasingly involved as she campaigned for equal pay with male colleagues. Although this challenge failed, she became the first woman to serve on the union's national executive, in 1973.
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In 1976, Switzer became the first female full-time divisional officer for the union, by then known as the "Technical, Administrative and
Supervisory Section" (TASS). That year, she also received the
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64:(TUC) Gold Badge. In 1979, she became the union's National Organiser then, in 1983, its Deputy General Secretary, a feat described by
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as "the first appointment to a senior union job of a woman who has risen through the ranks".
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certificate as an electrical technician. After an engineering apprenticeship with
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77:. She narrowly missed out on election to the women's section of the party's
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Dorothy Wade, "The unlikely engineer fighting to change jobs for the boys",
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Seumas Milne, "Outcome of MSF union election pleases Labour leaders",
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During the 1980s, Switzer was associated with the left-wing of the
232:"Left's grip on MSF union eased by vote on leadership successor",
81:(NEC), and from 1985 served on the management committee of the
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118:. She retired from her union posts in 1997, serving on the
114:, and from 1995 she additionally served as president of the
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Members of the
General Council of the Trades Union Congress
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Digby
Anderson, "Just a nice touch of marxist [
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Association of
Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen
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103:42,209 to 73,158 by the more right-wing candidate,
250:, "Labour NEC newcomer in union power struggle",
45:, she became a draughtsperson, initially with
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112:General Council of the Trades Union Congress
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23:; born 26 November 1940) is a former
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98:The TASS became part of the new
93:Communist Party of Great Britain
332:Trade unionists from Manchester
342:People from Chorlton-cum-Hardy
196:, "Woman gets top union job",
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292:Deputy General Secretary of
110:In 1993, Switzer joined the
79:National Executive Committee
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124:National Assembly of Women
120:Employment Appeal Tribunal
91:, who was a member of the
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128:Women of the Year Lunch
126:and the council of the
62:Trades Union Congress
280:Trade union offices
43:Metropolitan-Vickers
304:Position abolished
53:. She joined the
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301:Succeeded by
287:Eric Winterbottom
256:, 22 October 1990
238:, 20 October 1990
202:, 20 October 1982
39:City & Guilds
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298:1983–1988
285:Preceded by
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194:Donald Macintyre
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33:She grew up in
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28:trade unionist
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327:Living people
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51:Trafford Park
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268:The Guardian
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253:The Guardian
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248:Seumas Milne
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235:The Guardian
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178:The Observer
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84:Morning Star
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75:Labour Party
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322:1940 births
105:Roger Lyons
316:Categories
134:References
35:Manchester
220:The Times
199:The Times
159:Who's Who
100:MSF union
67:The Times
89:Ken Gill
25:British
122:, the
21:McMinn
19:(née
294:TASS
214:sic
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49:at
47:GEC
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186:^
166:^
141:^
130:.
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30:.
152:"
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