In Middlesbrough, Labour's Andy McDonald, a solicitor for a tradeunionlaw firm and former councillor, won with 10, 201 votes to UKIP candidate Richard Elvin's 1, 990.
The prospect of further industrial action has led some senior Tory figures, including Mayor of London Boris Johnson, to call for changes to tradeunionlaw to ensure that strike ballots can be lawful only if 50% of union members take part.
Though some of his officials are taking a more conciliatory line, Mr Chavez himself has shown no signs of backing down from his plan to approve a new trade-union law, and then to organise elections for union leaders.