Tony Hearn

Who is Tony Hearn?

Tony Hearn was a British trade unionist.

Hearn began working for the Association of Broadcasting Staff as Assistant to the General Secretary, Leslie Littlewood in the 1960s. He then moved up through the ranks, becoming one of the Assistant General Secretaries, and eventually General Secretary in 1972. He also became Secretary of the loose Federation of Broadcasting Unions.

Hearn became the General Secretary of the ABS in 1984, and took it into a merger with the National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees, which formed the Broadcasting and Entertainment Trades Alliance. He became joint General Secretary of BETA with John Wilson, then sole head of the union in 1987.

In 1991, he led it into another merger, this time with the Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians, which produced the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union.

Hearn became the first General Secretary of BECTU, a position he held until 1993.