NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release Monday, 22 September 2003

TSSA LEADER RICHARD ROSSER TO RETIRE

RICHARD Rosser, TSSA General Secretary has announced that he is retiringwhen his current term of office comes to an end in February 2004.

He made his announcement today [Monday] as the union set out the timetablefor the election of General Secretary.

Richard Rosser has been General Secretary of the 33,000-strong union since1989, having been elected to his third five-year term in February 1999.Richard will be 60 years old in October 2004.

A strong supporter of the Labour party, he was party chair in 1997/98 andserved on the party's NEC from 1988 to 1998. He has been a member of theTUC General Council since 2000.

Richard Rosser commented: "It has been an honour and a privilege to serveTSSA's members as General Secretary for the past 15 years.

"Over that time, we have seen huge changes. Some have been for the worse,with rail privatisation fragmenting the industry and damaging both theservice to passengers and the morale, conditions of employment and jobsecurity of many TSSA members.

"But some changes have very much been for the better. After 18 years of aTory Government wrecking the economy and our public services, we now have aLabour Government investing in our country and our future.

"Real improvements in the standard of living have been delivered, with morejobs, low inflation, more investment in health, education and publictransport and new rights in the workplace.

"I am proud to have led the union at the same time as we have seen the firstLabour Government elected for two whole terms.

"It would be folly for unions to heed the siren calls of those wanting toturn away from Labour now. The clamour from a minority of activists toeither walk away or 'reclaim the party' demonstrate how short some memoriesare and how cynical some can be in deliberately ignoring the manyachievements of this Government."

ends

For further information, please contact:
Hannah Leggett Press Officer (020) 7529 8059 or 07769 682806(mobile)

Notes to Editors

1. TSSA represents 33,000 members in administrative, clerical,managerial, professional and technical jobs in the railways, buses, theLondon Underground, the travel trade, canals, ports and ferries, and roadhaulage.

2. The timetable for the election of General Secretary is as follows:

Monday 22 September Call for expressions of interest issued
Thursday 23 October Closing date for expressions of interest
Friday 24 October Call for nominations issued
Friday 28 November Closing date for nominations
Friday 12 December Independent scrutineers send outballot papers
Wednesday 28 January Poll closes
Wednesday 28 January Result declared
Monday 1 March 2004 New five-year term begins

3. Pictures of Richard Rosser are available from the press office