Sarah Woolley (born 1987) is a British trade union leader, the first ever woman to lead the

Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1847 in Manchester, it represents workers in the food industry. History The union dates its origin to 1847. The Manchester Friendly Associatio ...

(BFAWU). Woolley joined BFAWU while working part-time at a Bakers Oven shop. She became full-time, and later a shop manager, while Bakers Oven became part of

Greggs Greggs plc is a British bakery chain. It specialises in savoury products such as baked goods, sausage rolls, sandwiches and sweet items including doughnuts and vanilla slices. It is headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is lis ...

. Following the merger, Woolley met the branch secretary and became active, firstly as a

shop steward A union representative, union steward, or shop steward is an employee of an organization or company who represents and defends the interests of their fellow employees as a trades/labour union member and official. Rank-and-file members of the un ...

, and was later elected onto its national executive committee, then became a full time official. She is also the 2023-2025 President of the GFTU General Federation of Trade Unions. Woolley was elected as leader of the union in 2019, and took up the post on 1 May 2020. In the

2020 Labour Party leadership election Labour Party leadership elections were held in the following countries in 2020: * 2020 Labour Party leadership election (Ireland) *2020 Labour Party leadership election (UK) The 2020 Labour Party leadership election was triggered after Jeremy C ...

, Woolley supported

Rebecca Long-Bailey Rebecca Roseanne Long-Bailey (' Long; born 22 September 1979) is a British Labour Party politician and solicitor who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Salford, previously Salford and Eccles, since 2015. She served in the Shadow Cabinet ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woolley, Sarah 1987 births Living people General secretaries of British trade unions Presidents of the General Federation of Trade Unions (UK)