The Unite union has a new leader in the island.

Debbie Halsall will take over from Eric Holmes as the union’s regional officer from July 31.

Mr Holmes took the decision to step down early on health grounds. He has been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and suspects his condition has been brought on by his exposure to asbestos while working as an apprentice in a Merseyside shipyard as a teenager in the 1970s.

Mr Holmes has been leading a campaign to bring in a compensation scheme for victims of asbestos-related diseases.

Mrs Halsall has been a lay official for Unite in the island for more than 10 years, serving as the first female secretary and chairman of the employees’ side of Whitley Council, the pay negotiating body for public sector manual workers.

She has also served numerous terms as secretary of the Isle of Man Trades Union Council, and more recently was elected to serve as its president.

Mrs Halsall has just been elected to succeed Mr Holmes as an employees’ side representative on the Public Sector Pensions Authority statutory board. Mr Holmes said: ’Debbie has worked closely with me over the last 10 years during which time she has successfully supported members experiencing employment issues in the workplace.

’She is well known for her abilities across government and the private sector for securing justice and fairness evenly.’

Unite is the second union in the island to have seen change at the top recently.

Prospect, the civil services union, also has a new leader in the island after Mick Hewer took over from Angela Moffatt as negotiations officer.