Tahir Bhatti “allegedly bullied, harassed, victimised and sacked in a manner that appears to make a mockery of the union’s supposed commitment to equality”
Supporters of former GMB union regional organiser Tahir Bhatti have issued a demand for justice for the sacked official, timed to coincide with the GMB’s annual congress. A statement from the ‘Friends of Tahir Bhatti’ group of current and former GMB members explains what he allegedly suffered at the hands of union officials, including bullying and Islamophobia, before being sacked after undergoing heart surgery and becoming the first GMB official to be deprived of the union’s customary long-service bonus:
As GMB’s 2024 Congress gets under way, we demand justice for Tahir Bhatti. The General Secretary’s report to GMB’s 2023 Congress highlighted the launch of a coaching, mentoring and support scheme for black and Asian staff. The London Region section of the report stated that ‘Sadly, some long serving staff left’ and included the name of Tahir Bhatti. What it did not say was that, after being diabetic, suffering a triple heart bypass operation and nearing his age of retirement, Mr Bhatti was allegedly bullied, harassed, victimised and sacked in a manner that appears to make a mockery of the union’s supposed commitment to equality. During his time in the GMB’s London Region, he allegedly suffered disrespectful comments about his religious beliefs and the Prophet Muhammed.
Tahir Bhatti was employed as a Recruitment Officer by GMB on May 10th, 1999. Despite his difficulties with spoken and written English, his ability to speak four different languages enabled him to recruit thousands of members amongst the Asian communities who lived and worked in West London. After 24 years of service, and after undergoing major heart surgery, he was dismissed in highly dubious circumstances for allegedly breaching data protection regulations after it was disclosed that one of his relatives helped him complete an application to the Central Arbitration Committee, after his secretarial staff had retired. His line manager and accuser, a white man who had literacy problems, continued to receive support without which he could not write a letter, but Tahir did not.
The testimonial payment awarded to all departing GMB officers who have completed at least 15 years of service was withheld because of Mr Bhatti’s supposed misconduct. He is the first Muslim and only officer of Pakistani heritage to have ever qualified for a testimonial payment and also the first ever GMB officer to ever have a testimonial payment withheld. Even the previous General Secretary, Tim Roache was allowed to walk away with an £80k payment despite plausible allegations that he was a serial sex offender.
Mr Bhatti has submitted a claim to the Employment Tribunal that will be heard in October. The GMB’s recently departed legal director was a former partner of Pattinson & Brewer who are representing the union. Up until now, Mr Bhatti has not publicised the appalling treatment he has received at the hands of his former employer in the vain hope that there may be a settlement. Instead, all he has received is a string of aggressive communications from Pattinson & Brewer threatening him with costs if he does not drop his claim.
John Page of Friends of Tahir Bhatti said:
“GMB’s treatment of its first and longest serving Muslim, Asian officer smacks of racism. We are calling for Tahir Bhatti to be reinstated and a full investigation take place into the concerns he has raised about race discrimination, and/or that he is properly compensated for the appalling way he has been treated. Until there is a full and impartial investigation into his claims and justice for Mr Bhatti, GMB’s claim to be on the side of victims of racism will convince no-one.”
The GMB was contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
Ironically, GMB reps are currently helping staff of the TSSA union, another to be hit by a ex pest scandal, in their strike action against bullying and abuse they say they are receiving from their general secretary. The treatment of Mr Bhatti also appears to mirror the Unite union’s behaviour toward Irish trade unionist Brendan Ogle, who is taking Unite to an industrial tribunal and a libel court for its conduct after he returned from treatment for aggressive cancer.
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