A LEADING teaching union has unveiled its new general secretary after a lengthy recruitment drive.
Seamus Searson, who has worked in teacher trade unions in England and Northern Ireland, was unveiled by the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA) after an eight-month search.
Last April, the organisation was thrown into disarray after its former general secretary was sacked just three weeks after taking up the post, which commands a salary of up to £80,000.
The union, which has around 10,000 members, terminated the contract of Sheila Mechan following what was described as an "immediate breakdown of a significant number of crucial working relationships".
A spokesman for the SSTA said Mr Searson, who will take up his post in February, had a reputation for a "non-confrontational approach" while working in Northern Ireland, where he was the leading official of the NAS/UWT teaching union.
More recently, Mr Searson worked as an official with the National Union of Teachers based in the North West of England.
The spokesman said: "We are pleased to confirm that Seamus Searson, who was successful in being chosen as the preferred candidate, will be the new general secretary of the SSTA. We extend a warm welcome to Seamus and wish him every success in his new post.
"There is a great deal of confidence in him because of his proven track record and this appointment marks the return of some degree of normality to the SSTA given the recent history and simply because it has been a long time coming."
Mr Searson worked as a teacher in London before taking up a number of roles with the NAS/UWT, most notably as their Northern Ireland organiser.
The advertisement for the SSTA post called for candidates who could display leadership and innovation and who had a genuine interest in education.
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