Lord Heseltine to foster closer union ties in TUC speech Ms O'Grady, a 53-year-old mother of two, takes over as TUC general secretary on Tuesday. Her pragmatic approach is in stark contrast to many union leaders, who have been calling for workers to exercise their industrial muscle to fight the Coalition's strategy. However, she is taking over a movement which, thanks to the Thatcher government's employment laws, has been shorn of much of the power it once enjoyed. Membership has slumped from a peak of more than 12m in the late 1970s to about 6m now, half of whom are women. "There have been huge changes, we have lost our manufacturing base and huge industrial strongholds," Ms O'Grady said. We have more part-time members and more women members. There have been radical changes to the way in which people work and we have to adapt. "The TUC is still the largest voluntary organisation in Britain," she says. Its task is to represent working people, to make people's lives better and business more productive. I think we are speaking up for ordinary Britain in a way that nobody else is at the moment. While she warned that industrial action could not be ruled out as anger grew at the wave of cuts and falling living standards, Ms O'Grady said more recognition should be given to how unions have co-operated during the economic downturn. With the recession in the car industry in Europe, we saw sensible trade union officers talking about very sensible deals with employers to keep factories open. The main task was to protect jobs and protect the plant. Companies were sensible and didn't go for the slash and burn approach," Ms O'Grady said. You can only develop this relationship when both sides have a long-term commitment to the success of the company and the well-being of the workforce. She has thrown her weight behind EU proposals for greater equality in the boardroom, backing plans for a 40pc quota by 2020. "There is still a blue-eyed boys" syndrome. It is about who you know, rather than what you know," she said.