UNISON’s first general secretary has died, aged 88

Alan Jinkinson, the first general secretary of UNISON, has died at the age of 88. Born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, on 27 February 1935, he had previously been the general secretary of NALGO, from 1990 to 1993, when it merged with NUPE and COHSE to become UNISON.
He played a key role in the formation of UNISON and was always proud to serve as the union’s first general secretary from vesting day in July 1993.
A life-long servant to the labour and trade union movement, he worked in many ro