POSTAL workers’ leader Dave Ward was elected as Communication Workers Union (CWU) general secretary yesterday, defeating incumbent Billy Hayes in a close-run contest.
Mr Ward, who was elected to his current post of deputy general secretary (postal) in 2003, will take up his new responsibilities on June 1 for a five-year term.
Figures given by Electoral Reform Services, which conducted the poll for the CWU, showed that 20,353 members voted for Mr Ward against the 16,851 for Mr Hayes.
CWU leader DAVE WARD tells Ben Chacko a strategy to unite workers on class lines is needed – and sectoral collective bargaining must be at its heart
Making sure this Labour government delivers on decent jobs, strong workplace rights and well-funded public services will defeat the easy answers to real frustrations peddled by the far right, writes JOANNE THOMAS



