Business Correspondent Jonathan Jones speaks to Tom Brennan, the new regional general secretary of the GMB union in the North.

THE way forward for the union movement in the North-East is not through confrontation, but by co-operation.

That's the view of Tom Brennan, the GMB's new regional general secretary.

He has replaced Kevin Curran, who has been elevated to the top post in that union, replacing John Edmonds as general secretary.

But Mr Brennan does not feel under any pressure to eventually follow in the footsteps of Mr Curran and set his sights on the leadership of the GMB, one of the country's biggest unions.

He prefers not to think that far ahead. There is plenty of work still to be done in the North-East.

The 56-year-old father-of-three, born in Tyne Dock, South Shields, now living in Jarrow on South Tyneside, hopes to increase GMB membership in the North-East from its current total of 80,000 to 100,000 by the time he retires from the post.

Mr Brennan said: "What the GMB wants is fair treatment of the workforce. The pendulum has swung too far in favour of the employers in recent years.

"The workforce should have a union to be able to call on for support, but we also want to prove to companies that we can help them when they go through difficult times.

"We want to encourage mutual understanding between the workforce and their employers.

"That way everybody wins."

Mr Brennan, the second oldest of 12 children, is a former shipyard worker who served his apprenticeship as a boilermaker at Middle Docks, in South Shields.

He said: "I became an apprentice boilermaker after finishing school at St Wilfrids RC School, in South Shields.

"I joined the union because I wanted to help people, particularly my workmates. I was told I could have gone into politics, but I prefer the politics of the workplace to those of the House of Commons."

He added: "I worked my way up the ladder, becoming a shop steward and then union convenor, and then to senior organiser in Sunderland and Durham."

He believes the union is now a forward-thinking one and has learnt from the mistakes of the past.

"The way forward is co-operation, not confrontation. We understand that companies will have difficult decisions to make from time to time, but we want to help them make those decisions in a fair way to their workers.

"We are fighting hard to convince the employers to take us on board. By working in partnership, we can achieve the needs of the workers and their employers.

"We want vibrant businesses in the North-East. That leads to continuation of employment for our members."

The GMB has a range of services not only for its members, but companies that need help.

"We have health and safety specialists and education specialists, among other services, that can help companies," said Mr Brennan.

"In the long run, we share the same goals as the employers; we need successful, vibrant businesses that keep our members in long-term employment."

On the political front, Mr Brennan is an avid campaigner for a North-East regional assembly.

He said: "By the time I retire from the union, I believe we will have a North-East Assembly.

"Such an assembly for the North would give us a collective voice for the region. I believe it is something that will eventually happen, and I am all in favour of it.

"Having such a voice will allow us to put our needs first."

He added: "The loss of the Capital of Culture bid for Newcastle Gateshead is typical of the attitude towards this region.

"However, we will recover from it, and bounce back. We have the character in this region to recover from such knocks.

"We have done it in the past when we lost shipyards like Swan Hunter and Cammell Laird.

"Swans has made a comeback under its present Dutch owners, and there is the chance of some of the work on the new aircraft carrier projects coming to the region."

On a more personal note, Mr Brennan, a member of South Shields Harriers, is a keen runner, having completed the Great North Run nine times, finishing in the top 200 on four occasions. His best time is one hour, 12 minutes and 32 seconds.

He also plays in the Northern Regional over-40s football league for Marsden.

As you would expect, he likes to be in the thick of the action, playing in the midfield.

Mr Brennan said: "I would like to put the drive and ambition I have on the sports field into the GMB, helping it to increase not only its membership, but its good relations with the region's employers. At the same time, I want to help promote the region, its people, its industry, and ensure that it gets the recognition it rightly deserves."