Rodney Bickerstaffe, former general secretary of the National Union of Public Employees and later leader of Unison, has died at the age of 72.

During the 1984-85 strike, the London-born trade union leader was a prominent supporter of the miners and a regular speaker at the Durham Miners’ Gala.

Alan Cummings, general secretary of Durham Miners’ Association, led tributes to a man he described as “the best trade unionist I ever met”.

He said: “The Durham Miners’ Association announce with great regret the sad passing of Rodney Bickerstaffe.

“Rodney spoke many times at the Durham Big Meeting - the only person who spoke at the Gala more than him was the late, great Tony Benn - and he was a great supporter of the Gala for many years.

“We will always remember that Rod was a great supporter of the miners during the strike.

“During 1984-85 when the union was sequestrated, he helped out financially with loans to make sure that the miners had the money to keep going”.

After retiring from Unison in 2001, Mr Bickerstaffe went on to succeed Jack Jones as president of the National Pensioners’ Convention and continued his association with the Durham miners.

He is depicted on Spennymoor’s miners’ banner and returned to Durham last year to lead the humanist funeral service for long-serving DMA secretary Dave Hopper.

Mr Cummings said: “I first met him in 1977 and we have been friends ever since.

“He was a marvellous man – the most genuine man and the best trade unionist I ever met and I met many over the years”.

Easington MP Graeme Morris described Mr Bickerstaffe as “a giant of the trade union movement”.

He added: “He was a fighter, a thoughtful and good man. My heartfelt sympathies on his passing to his family.”