THE TUC will today bid farewell to its long-serving head of campaigns and communications, Nigel Stanley.

A political activist since his student days, Nigel has played a key role in planning and organising TUC campaigns and demonstrations for the past two decades — most recently the Britain Needs a Pay Rise march which saw over 90,000 people march through central London.

Nigel joined the TUC in 1994 as its first ever parliamentary officer. Three years later he was promoted to head of campaigns and communications after John Healey left to become MP for Wentworth.

On becoming department head in 1997, Nigel said: “As the champion of everyone at work, we (the TUC) have much to do to achieve a fair deal in the workplace, after the years of deregulation and job insecurity.”

His words remain as salient now as they did then. Tributes were today paid from across the trade union and media world.

Former TUC general secretary Lord John Monks said: “Nigel has been a warrior for the TUC and working people in Britain.

Intensely political, highly principled, journalistically skilled and worldly wise, his 20 years at the TUC have seen a strengthening of the organisation’s campaigning capacity. He was definitely one of my better appointments and I wish him well for the future.”

Press Association industrial correspondent Alan Jones added: “Covering the world of work won’t be the same without Nigel Stanley. I have always valued his expert assessment on anything affecting the changing worlds of work, employment and trade unions, always handed out in Nigel’s usual flowing style, laced with a healthy dose of cynicism which comes with having to deal with our wonderful media.”

During his time at the TUC, Nigel has become an expert on polling and workplace pensions and will continue to do this work on a freelance basis.

Away from the office he is a keen musician and can be found many weekends playing gigs with his band the Skamonics.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The success of any communications chief is keeping themselves out of the story. Sadly, that means that many trade unionists will never know the full extent of Nigel’s contribution to the movement.

Behind the scenes he has organised countless campaigns, demos and media hits, with his trademark sharp wit and ability to build allies and confuse the enemy.

“Nigel also deserves credit as a key architect of pension auto-enrolment which, while imperfect, has given millions of the low-paid at least some hope of dignity in old age. For this alone, Nigel should be recognised as more than a top trade union professional. He has reached the ranks of a true comrade.”