Exclusive: Graham supporters ‘plan counter-demo’ against Unite staff striking against her husband

Alleged conduct of Jack Clarke and others in unit he runs for his wife led to strike action – but Unite is accused of union-busting and has not condemned bizarre measure to intimidate striking staff

Members of the GMB union who work for the Unite union start strike action tomorrow at the Unite office in Holborn, London – but allegedly face an attempt from others in Unite to intimidate or discredit them, according to union insiders.

The GMB members work in Unite’s ‘National Bargaining and Disputes Support Unit’ (BDSU) and are striking over alleged ‘bullying and victimisation’ by the unit’s management – which is run by Unite general secretary Sharon Graham’s husband Jack Clarke. Clarke is among the management members who are the object of the staff complainits and ensuing industrial action.

Clarke was promoted – outside the union’s usual procedure – to run the BDSU shortly after Sharon Graham became general secretary, despite the fact that he was on a final warning from the union for his conduct.

Ms Graham allegedly asked union staff to destroy evidence in serious complaints against him from staff, particularly women, working under him. Workers had submitted recordings and transcripts of his bullying behaviour to the union. The union has accused Skwawkbox of ‘peddling lies’ and of political motivations for its revelations, but has not denied the accusations.

Strike action was declared from Tuesday 3 December to Friday 6 December after workers accused Unite of ignoring their complaints that some managers in the BDSU bullied staff and victimised those who spoke out. Unite failed to suspend any of the managers accused of bullying but has suspended all the staff who entered a collective grievance and industrial dispute to challenge the bullying behaviours they experienced.

And as the strike begins tomorrow, supporters of Ms Graham are said to be planning a counter-demonstration against their colleagues – and against the legitimate industrial action of members of another union. It is an apparently unprecedented measure for trade unionists to attempt to discredit or intimidate the industrial action of others, at least since the miners’ strike of the 1980s.

Skwawkbox asked Unite to comment on the:

extraordinary [fact] that Unite hasn’t condemned the plan or told staff not to attempt to discredit or intimidate workers.

No reply had been received by the time of writing, some five hours after the press enquiry deadline.

If the counter-protest goes ahead, which it may not, now that it has been queried and challenged, many in the union movement will consider it shameful.

SKWAWKBOX needs your help. The site is provided free of charge but depends on the support of its readers to be viable. If you’d like to help it keep revealing the news as it is and not what the Establishment wants you to hear – and can afford to without hardship – please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here to set up a monthly donation via GoCardless (SKWAWKBOX will contact you to confirm the GoCardless amount as it has to be entered by us). Alternatively, if you prefer to make a one-off or recurring donation by simple card payment, please use the form below:

Thanks for your solidarity so Skwawkbox can keep doing its job of inconveniencing the right and helping to build the left!

If you wish to republish this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.