Kevin Curran (trade unionist)

Kevin Barry Curran (born 20 August 1954) is a British former trade unionist.

Curran left school and worked as a welder, installing boilers at power stations. Concerned about asbestos at Thurrock Power Station, he became a shop steward in his trade union, organising a walkout which won better working conditions there. He studied at the London School of Economics on a union bursary from 1979 but, on completing his studies, was unable to find work in the industry, believing himself to have been blacklisted for his union activities.^[1]

Curran found work running a training scheme for welders, and continued his activity in what became the GMB. He began working-full time for the union as a regional health and safety officer in 1988,^[1] and was promoted to regional organiser in 1990. He later became a regional industrial organiser, then regional secretary for the north, before being elected as general secretary in 2003.^[2] He defeated Paul Kenny in the election, but was accused of breaking the union's campaign rules.^[3] He denied the allegations, but was suspended from office in 2005 as the investigation continued, and opted to resign from the post.^[4]

Curran took a post as an international co-ordinator for the International Union of Food and Allied Workers, then in 2007 left trade unionism to become a tree surgeon.^[2]