Theresa May has only met top union leader Frances O'Grady once since becoming prime minister

The TUC leader said she has met German chancellor Angela Merkel more often that the UK's leader

Frances O'Grady, current deputy general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), pictured at the TUC headquarters in London. (Susannah Ireland)

Unions chief Frances O’Grady has revealed she has only had one meeting with Theresa May since she became prime minister.

TUC general secretary Ms O’Grady said she did meet senior ministers like Philip Hammond and David Davis and has even seen German chancellor Angela Merkel over the last two years.

But she suggested Ms May could be avoiding a second meeting due to her failure to win a majority at the last election.

Asked later in the day whether Ms O’Grady may now be invited in for a further meeting, a Downing St official declined to commit.

Speaking at a lunch for parliamentary journalists, Ms O’Grady said on Tuesday: “I have met Theresa May once.

“I have in the past sometimes reflected on the fact that I have met Angela Merkel, the president of Ireland, various others, many more times than our own prime minister.”

She said she believed her lack of access to the prime minister was in part a reflection of the political culture in Britain, but also down to the result of last year’s general election when the Conservatives lost their Commons majority.

She went on: “This isn’t for me a left/right issue.

“I think there are countries where it is recognised that it is important not just to listen to business, but listen to working people too.

“I suspect things became more difficult after the last election. I think had the election been decisive maybe I would have been meeting on a more regular basis.”

On Brexit, Ms O’Grady, who campaigned for Remain, urged Ms May to act with caution given the closeness of the 2016 referendum result.

She said that working people should not be made to pay the price of a “hard Brexit” at a time when the economy was struggling and pay was being squeezed.

A Downing Street spokesman highlighted policies the prime minister backs that aim to help workers, including cutting income tax, the national living wage, free childcare and changes to some workers rights.

He said: “The prime minister meets regularly with a range of industry leaders.

“What’s important is her absolute commitment to helping hard-working people.”

Asked whether Number 10 would now extend an invitation to Ms O’Grady, he said simply: “She has regular meetings with industry leaders.”