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Who is Sharon Graham and what is her salary?

SHARON Graham is a trade unionist and is the general secretary of Unite. 

She became Unite’s first female head in August 2021. 

Sharon Graham led her first strike action at only 17 years old
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Sharon Graham led her first strike action at only 17 years oldCredit: PA

Who is Sharon Graham?    

Graham was born in Hammersmith in 1968 and had an early start to campaigning for workers' right. 

While working as a silver service waitress at 17, she led her first walkout in defence of the rights of casual workers which proved successful and won her colleagues equal pay. 

Graham said: “I'll never forget that. I was 17. How I got away with it I don't know but I did. You can't persuade employers just by weight of argument. 

“The restaurant owner ignored us for months but did a deal after the walkout.” 

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At 27, she studied at the Trades Union Congress’s Organising Academy, an organisation which helps trade unions to grow, representing their members and keeping pace with the changing world of work. 

In 2021, Graham won the election to be the next general secretary of the Unite union and said she was "honoured" to have been elected. 

She is now the first female leader of one the UK's most powerful trade unions. 

Graham succeeded Len McCluskey after being backed by the far-left Socialist Workers Party. 

What is Sharon Graham's salary at Unite?    

Unite has yet to reveal Graham’s salary, however its annual return listed her predecessor McClusky as earning £101,568 in 2020. 

As of November 2022, Graham’s net worth ranges between £800,000 to £4million, according to .. 

What organisations has Sharon Graham worked for?    

At 31, Graham began working as a national youth and development officer for the Transport and General Workers' Union, later becoming Unite. 

She went on to lead the union's response to British Airway’s decision to fire and rehire staff in 2020. 

She also led Unite's campaign to unionise Amazon workers in 2021 setting up a hotline for the workers. 

Graham also headed up Unite’s organising unit by recruiting members and building support for new campaigns. 

Some of her campaigns have included opposing illegal closures, victimisation of union leaders, and the preservation of national wage bargaining. 

Is Sharon Graham married and does she have children?   

Graham got married in 2005 to Jack Clarke. 

The couple live in Hammersmith and have one son together, Thomas. 

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