William Hayes is the leader of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

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Early life

Born in Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, he attended St Swithin's Secondary Modern School on Croxteth Hall Lane (closed in 1983). He has later gained a Diploma in Trade Union Studies from the University of Liverpool

University of Liverpool

The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...

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Career

Hayes worked as a welder from 1968-71, then for John West Foods from 1971-3, before becoming a postman in 1974.

Communication Workers Union

He became active in the CWU, and in 1992 was elected to its National Executive Committee, then as a national officer, the Assistant Secretary of the Outdoor Department. He was elected General Secretary of the union in 2001.

As General Secretary for the CWU, his reported annual salary in 2009 is £97,647

Personal life

In September 1995 he married Dian Lee in Knowsley

Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley

The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It comprises the towns of Kirkby, Prescot, Huyton, Whiston, Halewood and Cronton; Kirkby, Huyton, and Prescot being the major commercial centres...

. They have a son and a daughter.