Philip Jennings was re-elected Co-President of the IPB in October 2022 and currently serves his second term.
He spent over 40 years first in the UK and then the global trade union movement where he occupied key leadership positions for 30 years.
He was the founding General Secretary of UNI Global Union and served in office from 2000 -2018. The creation of Uni Global Union was one the biggest changes in global union structures in a generation uniting four internationals from the broad private services sector into one organisation.
The commitment to peace, disarmament, anti violence and against nuclear weapons were key principles of UNI Global Union.
Philip was one of the most influential global union leaders of his generation.
He has strong memories of the Uni Global Union Congress held in Nagasaki in 2010 where 2000 delegates from around the world were immersed in the history of August 9 1945. The Congress marched for peace and adopted wide ranging peace policies including the prohibition of nuclear weapons.
He occupied many different posts of responsibility including as Commissioner on the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work which reported in 2019 and was chaired by the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.
In his union work one of his key messages was that trade union rights are key human and democratic rights, without them there can be no justice and no peace. He predicted the dangers that an unfair globalisation would bring to people, planet and peace.
He was consistent in his call for a new social contract, the crushing of democratic rights that populist authoritarian leaders would bring and the need for trade unions to anchor their basic policies in support of peace. With the world at such a dangerous juncture it is time for us to find new ways to peace through an approach built on a new appreciation of and policies for our Common and Human Security. He considers the work of the IPB critical in building bridges for peace in all continents the world has no option but to cooperate for peace, nationalism and everyone for themself is a dead end for people and planet.