Union boss Brendan Barber to get £100,000 pay-off Tory MP Dominic Raab added: "Brendan Barber gets the Olympic gold medal for gross hypocrisy. On Monday, he is lecturing the nation about inequality. By the end of week, we learn he's pocketing a six-figure golden goodbye. Mr Barber, 61, joined the TUC in 1975 and has been general secretary for almost 10 years. Earlier this week, he warned there was "every possibility" of more strikes after workers had been left with "a smaller section of a smaller pie." The latest union figures showed his gross salary was £100,526 last year. A source defended the pay-off and said: "Few realise just how difficult a job it is to be TUC general secretary. You have to deal with a lot of strong personalities from the union side and win the respect of Government ministers and employers. Brendan has excelled at both. On Tuesday, the next general secretary told the union's conference in Brighton that she would "reach out, campaign and fight back more" for members. Ms O'Grady said: "Of course our movement must be open to change, and change we will in the months and years ahead. Not just talking to ourselves, about ourselves. But reaching out more, campaigning more, and if needs be, fighting back more.