General Secretaries

Eight men have held the post of General Secretary of the Union since the formation of the AMU in 1893. Elections are held every five years where branches (now regions) have the opportunity to nominate candidates to stand against the incumbent. Historically, incumbents were re-elected unopposed, and it is only in the modern era that General Secretaries have not retired at the age of 65 or as a result of ill-health.

Joseph (JB) Williams (1893-1925)
ES (Teddy) Teale (1925-1931)
Fred Dambman (1931-1948)
Hardie Ratcliffe (1948-1971)
John Morton (1971-1990)
Dennis Scard (1990-2000)
Derek Kay (2001)
John Smith (2002- 2017)