Persson started work in 1954 as a postman and joined the Swedish Post Union.
In 1961, he became education officer for its Malmö branch, later serving as its secretary, then its chair.
In 1984, he was elected as president of SF, in which role he encouraged it to recruit outside the public sector.
He retired from SF in 1995, becoming chair of SOS Alarm, and stood down from the PTTI in 1997.
In 2008, he became president of the Swedish National Pensioners' Organisation, serving until 2015.