Roz Foyer

Roz Foyer
Foyer in 2024
General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 February 2020
Preceded byGrahame Smith
Personal details
Born
Rozanne Foyer

November 1972
Glasgow, Scotland
Spouse
Simon Macfarlane
​
(m. 2002)​
Children2

Rozanne Foyer (born November 1972) is a Scottish trade unionist who has served as the General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) since 2020; the first woman to hold the post.

Early life

Foyer grew up in Glasgow as an only child, where she helped out on her parents' market stall in the Barras.[1] She left school after her Highers, and worked in the VAT office, but left after being sexually harassed and unsure of her rights, an experience which inspired her to join a union.[2]

Career

Foyer worked for the Benefits Agency, where she led a successful campaign against privatisation. This led the Graphical, Paper and Media Union to take her on full-time as a trainee organiser, following which she became an assistant secretary at the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC). Her next appointment was as a national officer for the Transport and General Workers' Union, and after it became part of Unite, she worked in its national organising department.[3][4]

Foyer served on the general council of the STUC for many years, served a term as chair of the STUC's youth committee. In 2020, she was appointed as General Secretary of the STUC, the first woman to hold the post.[3][4]

In March 2023, it was announced that Foyer would be joining Scottish newspaper The National as a regular columnist.[5]

Personal life

Foyer has been married to Simon Macfarlane, also a trade unionist, since 2002.[6] They have two daughters.[2]

References

  1. ^ Meighan, Craig (4 December 2022). "10 things that changed my life with STUC general secretary Roz Foyer". The National. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b Burnside, Anna (3 February 2020). "Roz Foyer is bringing a fresh feminist face to Scotland's trade union movement". Daily Record. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b "STUC announces appointment of new General Secretary". STUC. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b Lazenby, Peter (2 February 2020). "STUC appoints first female leader for first time in its 123-year history". Morning Star. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  5. ^ The National (10 March 2023). "The STUC's Roz Foyer joins The National as a regular columnist". The National.
  6. ^ Marriage certificate of Rozanne Foyer and Simon David Macfarlane, 2002, 619 / 475 Glasgow - National Records of Scotland
Trade union offices
Preceded by General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress
2020–present 		Incumbent