Angry members go in front of the camera with damning allegations
Disgusted workers at the TSSA rail union have marked their escalating strike action with a scathing critique of the conduct of the management of their union, particularly general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust.
In a video published this week, the workers accuse Eslamdoust and her allies of:
- refusing to implement the recommendations of the damning Kennedy and Conley reports on the toxic culture that prevailed under the disgraced Manuel Cortes and his cohort, including the commission or enabling of sexual assaults, harassment and bullying
- victimising, bullying and suspending TSSA staff and targeting leading trade unionists who have spoken out against their behaviour – including suspending three activists who played a key role in the identification and removal of perpetrators under Cortes
- exploiting a technicality to disband the grassroots Women in Focus group – which was seen as playing a key role in pushing through the Kennedy and Conley recommendations
- paying off former management figures implicated in the abuse and allowing them to escape justice
- using non-disclosure agreements to silence workers and others
- using anti-union tactics to try to ban workers from striking that would never be accepted from a rail employer
- undoing the good work of the previous interim general secretary on implementing the reports’ recommendations
- refusing even to be in the same room as workers during ACAS talks
- turning the union’s conference into a farce by barring critical delegates and staff from attending and blocking motions expressing criticism of Eslamdoust
- using her platform as general secretary to attack and abuse staff
Watch below:
The union was contacted for comment about the filmed comments but did not respond by the time of publication.
The union has been mired in controversies and anger among the union’s staff and membership over Eslamdoust’s conduct for months. Staff voted unanimously in support of a no-confidence motion against her, one of the union’s biggest branches has done the same.
Staff are currently engaged in an escalating strike campaign against what they say is a continuation, under Eslamdoust, of the bullying, abuse and intimidation that took place under former general secretary Manuel Cortes – and have accused Eslamdoust of crossing their picket line on the first day of strike action.
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