Striking staff say union general secretary went through their picket – the cardinal sin of trade unionism. No denial from union
The cardinal rule of trade unionism – the unforgivable sin, basically – is to cross a picket line set up by striking workers. Such pickets regularly see lorry drivers, rail customers, other trades and staff refusing to cross rather than break the rule, which lies at the very heart of the effective collective action on which trade unionism is based.
This morning, according to striking staff employed by the TSSA rail union, TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust walked through their picket – having turned up at her office at 7.30am, far earlier than usual.
The workers’ reps commented on Eslamdoust’s action on their collective social media feed:
This prompted the use of the dreaded word ‘scab’ by those who heard about it – and comments that she had made her position untenable:
This morning, presumably after crossing the picket, Eslamdoust and her team launched an attack on workers striking over abuse and bullying, in which she tried to circumvent them in the dispute and approach the general secretary of the GMB union that represents them at work – showing an appalling disregard for the workers’ rights and the fact that the GMB is representing their members who work at TSSA (union staff are usually represented by a different union, for obvious reasons) in the dispute over their grievances.
Eslamdoust was recommended for the general secretary role by the union’s executive, despite having no relevant experience, and has already lost a unanimous vote of no confidence among union staff, who are striking after an overwhelming vote in favour of the action over renewed bullying and abuse.
Workers have complained that they are being targeted if they speak out about abuse and that the union, which was already in crisis after Eslamdoust’s predecessor – who today backed her attack on staff – was sacked over the Kennedy Report’s revelations of widespread bullying and sexual harassment by senior management. Workers say that the union has again descended into bullying and intimidation under Eslamdoust. The union’s executive member for Scotland has already resigned in protest at the way she and her team are running it.
Workers have accused Eslamdoust of bad faith in the negotiations so far, leading to today’s picket – the first of two days of strike action – and say that talks have been a farce, with Eslamdoust still trying to bypass the staff and negotiate directly with GMB management, while simultaneously making anti-union comments and smearing workers as greedy and unreasonable.
More than 93% of union staff voted for the strike – and the staff unanimously passed a motion of no confidence in Eslamdoust, as did one of the TSSA’s major member branches.
The TSSA was contacted twice for comment but did not respond.
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Does anyone know how many TSSA staff are involved in this dispute?
Maybe we do. Maybe we don’t Billy.
Either way, based on your own anti-reciprocal approach, no one is under any obligation to provide you with an answer.
Dave – I’ll take that as a don’t know, I doubt that you could resist your need to show us all how ‘clever’ you are if you knew the answer. 🙄
Its not rocket science to work out Billy.
Lets look at this concept you have a cognitive problem dealing with known as evidence because it interferes with your fantasy Official Narrative:
What do we actually know?
We know the following:
1. At present, despite draconian laws in the UK which severely restrict the ability of workers to carry out effective industrial action, workers in the UK still have a right to strike subject to very strict legal conditions.
2. The GMB staff members working in and for the TSSA have a dispute with their management in the TSSA.
3. A ballot for strike action was held in which over 90% of the GMB members working for the TSSA voted in favour of.
4. Moreover, those same GMB members – working for the TSSA (would not want to miss dotting any I’s and crossing any T’s would we Billy) – overwhelmingly passed a vote of no confidence in the General Secretary of the TSSA (their ultimate boss/CEO).
5. There has only been one report of the picket lines being crossed. This being the TSSA General Secretary. Which means that no GMB staff have crossed the picket lines and reported for work.
Ergo, Billy the answer to your question is quite simple:
All of them. All the GMB staff working for the TSSA are involved in the dispute.
See, it wasn’t hard was it? No one said anything about the GMB or its staff being “wonderful” or utter any word of either support or opposition for what they are doing. Just an objective laying out of the facts and evidence available to arrive at an answer/conclusion based on that evidence.
Its obvious from previous experiences that you have a problem with this concept Billy. However, that is how the real world works in a practical sense.
Maybe one day, who knows(?), you will be grown up enough to join that real world.
Dave – I asked how many were involved in this dispute, not what proportions were involved. However, thanks for all your efforts in retelling what we’d already been told. Hopefully someone out there found it useful.
I don’t know, SteveH, but a 93% strike vote shows its importance to staff. Other than ‘crossing’ a picket line (to get to her desk?), has the GS supported her striking members in the media today?
The MSM isn’t reporting on it, which actuallypersuades me that Skwawky, GMB reps and TSSA staff are probably justified in their lack of confidence in GS Eslamdoust.
Billy, When ALL of the staff have been issued a ballot paper as per the requirements of the Trade Union legislation in the UK; 93% have voted in favour; and no GMB member is recorded as crossing the picket lines the only relevant point is that ALL the staff are involved regardless of whether its half a dozen or hundred.
Because the actual number represented by ALL is of no practical relevance (which, coincidentally, more than adequately describes someone who fixates on such inane and irrelevant questions) as it makes no practical difference whatsoever to the issue.
Industrial action, including strikes do not operate, and never ever have, on the basis of only those who voted in favour coming out on strike whilst those who voted against get to go into work.
If, however, you think you have a relevant reason for wanting to know the exact number* I am confident that;
(a) Everyone on this site would be more than willing to hear it……
but,
(b)….given your policy of exclusivity in terms of refusing to engage in normal human reciprocation, no one is holding their breath of you ever breaking your duck of never ever providing a straight answer to anyone else’s questions. Because with you Billy, its a one way street. Just like with the elites and Oligarch’s whose double standard Official Narrative you constantly push on this site.
*There is a a simple method of obtaining this exact figure by the way. Simply write to the GMB. I’m sure they would oblige, subject, of course, to providing a valid reason for wanting that specific information.
Dave – Oh dear
Should we be impresses that you’ve actually managed to grasp the basic mechanics of how a ballot works. 🙄
OR
Should we be curious why a simple straightforward question asking how many TSSA staff are involved in this dispute has rattled your cage so much. 🤔
ps, Since posing my original question I have just come across the following.
The admin workforce at TSSA apparently consists of 50 staff of which 60% (30) have been asked to re-apply for their jobs as part of a reorganisation.
My apologies to everyone, I was misinformed about the details in my ‘ps’. It turns out that these details came from an article that is several years old.
You asked a question Billy, and it was answered.
What’s the problem?
Have GMB staff coming out on strike rattled your cage or something that you would ask for such a detail?
Are you actually ever going to reciprocate on the principle of answering other people’s questions in the way you demand other people answer your questions – such as why you need to know this? – rather than this pathetic prevarication to avoid answering such a simple straightforward question?
Or does this principle, like so much else only work one way?
Dave – “You asked a question Billy, and it was answered. “
My question wasn’t answered.
But you knew that already, didn’t you? 😞
Is the answer ALL of the GMB staff at the TSSA are involved in the dispute a factually correct answer or not Billy?
If it is not then put you money where your mouth is and tell us how many, if any, are not involved if you can?
Dave – You are being silly. 🥱
I’ll take that response as a tacit, albeit graceless, acceptance that the answer given is factually correct..
You’re welcome.
Dave – Who are you trying to impress?🥱😴💤
Billy, What are you trying to prove?
If it’s your congenital obtuseness and dishonesty congratulations, you succeeded a long time ago.
Not sure the absolutism on not crossing a picket line holds if they are striking against you. To not have crossed would have been an acknowledgement that their case was legitimate and obviously she disagrees.
And what’s wrong with the tradesman’s?
A scab’s a scab. And eslamdoust, it appears, has nowt but contempt for protocol and fellow union members.
And is most certainly incapable of leading by example.
There is also the very real future problem of the TSSA General Secretary’s crossing of a picket line coming back to bite her, the TSSA Union and its members in the arse.
Any future dispute involving TSSA members is undermined by this action on the part of the TSSA General Secretary.
Any such dispute which involves picket lines will be fair game for anyone wanting to cross that picket line now that the TSSA General secretary has set that precedent.
In such an event the TSSA General Secretary, the TSSA as a Trades Union, and its members will not have a convincing argument against anyone crossing a picket line.
TSSA members have every reason to remove a representative of their Union from Office who has undermined in such a way any future dispute by TSSA members with an employer.
Councillor KARL Peter MARX Wardlaw [Labour] has won the ward of Brinnington and Stockport Central, the council’s most deprived area, with 61% of the vote.😊
UK students launch five pro-Palestinian university camps as Gaza protests spread
https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-students-launch-five-pro-palestinian-university-camps
Canada threatens senior Army Officer with Court Martial for ‘disloyalty.’
https://johnhelmer.net/canada-is-losing-its-war-against-russia-so-it-has-threatened-senior-army-officers-with-court-martial-for-disloyalty/#more-89851
“A senior Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) officer, who is the Assistant Chief of Staff at the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), faces court martial, “dismissal with disgrace”, and loss of his military pension for having disagreed with Canadian, American, and British military planners of Ukrainian battlefield operations against Russia. His disagreement was in private, when the officers were asking for his professional assessment, and didn’t like what he told them.”
https://nowthenmagazine.com/articles/university-of-sheffield-students-set-up-encampment-on-campus-to-show-solidarity-with-palestine
”
A spokesperson for Sheffield Jews Against Israeli Apartheid (SJAIA) said:
“Sheffield Jews Against Israeli Apartheid welcomes the May Day walk out by Sheffield University students in solidarity with Palestinian people. We support their actions and call on all students and staff to do so and resolve to hold their University to account for its complicity with the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Palestine.”
Veteran German actor Dieter Hallervorden’s poem ‘Gaza Gaza