LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - Left-winger Tony Woodley was elected leader on Saturday of Britain's third-largest union, the Transport and General Workers (TGWU), a result likely to put further strain on relations between unions and the government.
Woodley, 55, has spent most of his working life defending the interests of British car workers and was instrumental in saving jobs at the Rover car company.
He replaces General Secretary Bill Morris who is retiring.
Woodley has said he would call a summit of like-minded unions if he won to "reclaim the Labour Party" which he feels is at odds with the union movement in several ways.
"Tony Blair has lost the support and confidence of working people in this country," he told a news conference during his campaign. "It is our party and it has been hijacked."
Woodley's criticisms echo those of other left-wing union heads like rail workers' leaders Bob Crow and Mick Rix, Derek Simpson of the huge Amicus union and Andy Gilchrist of the Fire Brigades Union.
Woodley came top of a ballot in which turnout was 20.9 percent of the TGWU membership. He won 66,958 votes against second-placed Jack Dromey, husband of Solicitor-General Harriet Harman, who polled 45,136.