Latest news from today’s session of discrimination case brought by Irish trade unionist against Unite and Sharon Graham as witnesses again ‘rattle’ union barrister – and former GS Len McCluskey will be called again
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham will be legally summonsed to appear in Dublin at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) discrimination case brought by Irish trade unionist Brendan Ogle against Graham and Unite, if she does not accept an invitation from Ogle’s lawyers. The news was confirmed after an attempt by Unite’s highly-paid barrister Mark Harty, to claim that Graham was not relevant to the case because she is the UK general secretary, was rejected by Adjudicator Elizabeth Spelman after Ogle’s lawyers pointed out that Ireland is a Unite region and Graham has overall responsibility, as well as allegedly telling Irish officials to inform Ogle that there was no place for him.
Ogle is claiming that Unite discriminated against him by sidelining him on his return from cancer treatment – and that he was told that Graham ‘recognises loyalty’ from those who supported her in Unite’s 2021 general secretary election. Ogle, like many Irish figures and branches, supported Graham’s rival, Howard Beckett.
The question of whether a subpoena would be issued to compel Graham to attend was left open at the end of the last three-day session of the case. Harty tried to claim Graham was not relevant to the case and may not be ‘amenable’ to subpoena, as if a legal summons is a matter of whether one feels like being summoned. Graham and her alleged words about getting rid of Ogle have featured prominently in the case so far.
In other news from the tribunal, Irish Unite stalwart James ‘Junior’ Coss gave evidence corroborating Ogle’s account of sitting through the creation of a whiteboard chart about how the union would be organised after his removal, to the evident ire of Harty, whom attendees described as becoming extremely aggressive.
John Douglas, former general secretary of Irish retail union Mandate, also gave evidence in support of Ogle’s case, to a similar reaction from Harty – whose approach in the preceding session in February led to several ‘sidebars’ with Spelman and Ogle’s outraged barrister Mary-Paula Guinness.
Tomorrow’s session of the hearing was postponed after Unite’s lawyers called pro-Graham union employee Therese Maloney in an attempt to rebut former general secretary Len McCluskey’s testimony that he had assured Ogle his job would be kept open. Adjudicator Spelman ruled that McCluskey must be on hand for re-examination before Maloney can testify.
Sharon Graham has previously cancelled appearances in the Republic, avoiding members’ anger and scrutiny over the union’s ‘disgraceful’ treatment of Brendan Ogle. The situation caused such outrage in Ireland that union members picketed Graham’s long-delayed visit to Dublin, Unite’s Community section condemned it as ‘disgusting’ and a whole sector branch threatened to disaffiliate.
Graham’s tenure as Unite boss has also been marked by a string of other allegations – which neither she nor the union has denied – including destruction of evidence against her husband in threat, misogyny and bullying complaints brought by union employees. She is also embroiled in a defamation lawsuit brought by Irish union legend Brendan Ogle for the union’s treatment of him and comments made about him by Graham and her close ally Tony Woodhouse.
She has also been alleged by insiders to have:
- banned Unite officials and national banners from pro-Gaza protests
- banned and smeared films and books exposing the ‘Labour antisemitism’ scam
- placed an official under investigation who refused to cancel a Palestine solidarity fringe event at Labour’s 2023 annual conference
- told her chief of staff to threaten a soon-to-retire official with the loss of a pension bonus if he did not soften his support for Palestinians
Her supporters also prevented debate and votes on Gaza at a meeting of the union’s elected executive earlier this month.
Failure to obey a subpoena in employment cases is a prosecutable criminal offence under Ireland’s ‘Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018‘.
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Well done Ireland. Croppies no longer lie down and take what the English decide to dish out. Best wishes to Mr Ogle for every success in his case
Ben, don’t blame the English for that person’s actions. Her cabal are not true representatives. A lot are quite worried about their jobs, she is a vengeful, bitter person who can see nothing but the pole. Anyway well done Ireland.
Acknowledging a partial grasp of this case, what strikes me is that, having employed expensive representation, Graham’s lawyers are not ‘making this go away’ but instead trying to intimidate their opponents into submission. It’s a healthy payday for lawyers but is it really in the interests of Graham or Ogle?
Yes Tim. “Judge the tree by its fruit”. Graham is a Bully. Even when she’s paying very expensive lawyers to fight her case and she can’t NOT be a bully.
A bully routinely misinforms, persecutes, oppresses, torments, intimidates, browbeats and intimidates. She can’t stop it. Her expensive legal council can’t stop her either.
(It strikes me that Hodge in Skwawky’s next story is displaying the same (centrist) personality-trait. They just can’t help themselves.)
Any organisation can structure its business any way it wants, unless it is designed to get rid of a particular individual
That normally comes down to whether or not they are allowed to apply for the New position and are they qualified for it
Fair dose but aren’t unions meant to defend its members and protect its staff. If the answer is no then its just about ambition. I don’t understand how she reached such rarefired heights. She has the personality and vanity of the lesser seen berger ( sometimes seen cawing around Nort London and media centres ).
Off topic:
What REALLY Happened on October 7
Thank you for that PW, very useful off topic contribution and resource.
In the same off topic vein the Cass Review has been published today and some astute observations are made here:
https://wingsoverscotland.com/trebling-down/#more-142405
Leaving aside the scandalous refusal of the NHS Tavistock Clinic to bury evidence by not agreeing to provide data for the review – if you’ve nothing to hide, you’ve nothing to fear – arguably the most relevant observation relates to the Labour Party stance – direct from Anneliese Dodds – on so called ‘Conversion Therapy’.
“Labour would bring in a full no loopholes ban on conversion practices.”
Which is an outright and deliberate misleading lie simply on the basis that it will actually mandate one particular conversion practice.
As Stuart Campbell over at Wings Over Scotland observes:
“And that’s a problem because under such a ban, Dr. Hilary Cass would be a criminal. Her recommendations that the NHS adopt a much more cautious and evidence-based approach to transitioning children fly directly in the face of the proposed “conversion practices” ban, which treats anything other than unquestioning affirmation of transgender status as transphobic bigotry.
The recommendations of the Cass Review and the proposed ban quite simply CANNOT both be done. They conflict with each other in the most direct way imaginable, because gender transition IS “conversion therapy”, practiced against children who are overwhelmingly likely to grow up to be gay…..
…..while Wes Streeting and Yvette Cooper’s comments on Cass are to be welcomed in terms of tone if nothing else, they simply cannot be trusted as long as Labour maintains its policy of introducing the conversion ban. The party cannot ride both horses, because those horses are charging in opposite directions.”
Thank you PW.
As Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit outlines in the film, the popular press’ treatment of Israeli atrocities and their treatment of Jeremy Corbyn’s supposed anti-Semitism (and, I’d say, the vile, massively-orchestrated covid lie) shows the MSM are serving agendas that do not benefit peace, justice, health or the human race.
The arrogance and self belief of the IDF.
‼️BREAKING NEWS – JULIAN ASSANGE‼️
The US is “considering” dropping the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, following a request from the Australian government, President Joe Biden has said.
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/media/us-considering-dropping-prosecution-of-julian-assange-biden-says-372237/
Keef will NOT be pleased.