A SHOP STEWARD fighting mass privatisation in a flagship Tory borough has thrown his hat in the ring to lead Britain’s largest public-sector union.

Barnet Unison branch secretary John Burgess, who has recently led strikes against the outsourcing of council services, was reportedly inspired to stand for general secretary by the surge in support for Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership race.

He joins incumbent Dave Prentis, the union’s local government chief Heather Wakefield, Southampton Unison secretary Hayley Garner and Socialist Party activist Roger Bannister in a crowded field.

Mr Burgess’s platform includes more money for branches and a “change in culture in terms of support.”

“From my experience of fighting for our members in Barnet I know we need to fight back seriously when we are under attack,” he said in a statement. “We need to do the same thing nationally — not just call a token day’s strike and then back down.”

Mr Prentis, who has led Unison since 2001, has faced criticism for his handling of the 2011 public-sector pensions dispute and the recent local government pay settlement.

Unison’s decision to accept an offer from managers and call off strike action last autumn was censured by a special conference in March.

But Mr Prentis is likely to benefit from a split opposition of candidates all pitching to his left. One branch secretary told the Star: “It’s very hard to gauge, but it could be a closer election than the last two.

“The first-past-the-post system may be to Prentis’s advantage, given his name recognition and the advantages of incumbency.”