Billy Hayes (trade unionist)

Born in Fazakerley Liverpool, he attended St Swithin's Secondary Modern School on Croxteth Hall Lane (closed 1983). He later gained a Diploma in Trade Union Studies from the University of Liverpool. Hayes worked as a welder from 1968–71, then for John West Foods from 1971–73, before becoming a postman in 1974.

He became active in the CWU, and in 1992 was elected to its National Executive Committee, then as a national officer, the Assistant Secretary of the Outdoor Department. He was elected General Secretary of the union in 2001.[1] As General Secretary for the CWU, his reported annual salary in 2009 was £97,647. During his time in office membership of the union has fallen by 100,000 due to mass redundancies and an ageing workforce within British Telecoms and postal service Royal Mail.[2] In 2015, he was beaten for re-election by his own deputy, Dave Ward.[3]

He is World President of UNI Post and Logistics - a sector of UNI Global Union. With more than 2.5 million members worldwide the Post and Logistics Sector is one of UNI's largest.

In September 2017 he and Seema Chandwani were elected to the Labour Conference Arrangements Committee. [4]

In September 1995 he married Dian Lee in Knowsley. They have a son and a daughter.

• Dave Ward