Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has led more than 450 disputes and put £150million back into members’ pockets in one year of leadership.
The 53-year-old became the union’s first female head last August, beating Gerard Coyne and Steve Turner.
Since then she has won an unprecedented 80 per cent of disputes and £150million for members who took action over pay.
Ms Graham said: “I felt the union needed to get back to what it says on the trade union tin: jobs, pay and conditions. It’s not rocket science.
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“But £150 million of new money in the pockets of our members from the disputes we’ve won in the last year proves it works.”
Unite now has a dedicated disputes team, which organised the 76,000 members who took industrial action.
Key wins were against British Airways, Coventry city council and pallet company Chep.
Ms Graham added: “We follow the money. We finish up knowing more about the corporate giants we are taking on than they know themselves.”
She also took a swipe at top Tories such as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who unveiled a 16-point plan to “take on” unions following rail strikes.
Ms Graham said: “Whatever they throw at us we will be ready.”
The general secretary added the union was focused on industry rather than Westminster.
She said: “We are not a branch of the Labour Party. We are a strong industrial organisation with the ability to deliver real benefits for workers.”
Around 1,900 Unite members will launch an eight-day strike at Felixstowe tomorrow in a dispute over pay. The Port of Felixstowe said it “regrets the impact... on UK supply chains”.
