He is a former general secretary of the United Kingdom's Trades Union Congress (TUC); a post he held from June 2003 until his retirement at the end of 2012.

Barber was born on 3 April 1951 in Southport, Lancashire, and educated at St Mary's College, Sefton (then a direct grant grammar school).

At City, University of London, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in social sciences in 1974, then spent the next year as the president of the students' union.

[1] He spent a year as a researcher for the Ceramics, Glass and Mineral Products Industry Training Board based in Harrow.

On 18 April 2012, he announced his retirement, enabling a successor to be elected in September at Trades Union Congress 2012.