Exclusive: Unite union staff branch passes motion condemning union’s abuse of striking workers

Members of Unite LE 128 branch, which represents staff working in other unions, condemn their own union for its anti-worker tactics

The Unite union and its general secretary Sharon Graham are embroiled in an industrial dispute with staff who claim her husband, who was promoted to a senior position shortly after she took over the union despite a final warning for his conduct in his earlier position, is bullying them – and that Unite is engaging in union-busting tactics against them.

As Skwawkbox revealed last week, three out of five women working in BDSU under Graham’s husband Jack Clarke left the unit – and Graham’s lawyers, in a response to a Skwawkbox press enquiry, admitted that Unite has destroyed evidence presented against Clarke by staff, particularly women, working under him in his previous unit.

The union has been slammed by members and activists for the tactics it used in a counter-demonstration staged outside its London HQ as BDSU staff picketed the building as part of their strike action. Senior management figures and others put up banners claiming that the GMB, which represents the striking workers, is a ‘sexist’ union and accusing striking workers of abusing women.

And now the Unite branch representing staff who work for unions other than Unite has passed the following motion condemning the Unite management’s tactics against the union’s own staff on strike:

This branch notes that, in the GMB strike last week at Unite, a banner was raised at the front of the building, alleging that GMB was a sexist union.

This branch believes that it is a disservice to the testimony and bravery of survivors of abuse and harassment in GMB that the inquest into their treatment at work should be used by a trade union employer in a dispute with its own staff, and the implication being that the members of a union are responsible for the past harassment of the previous leadership.

This branch, made up of trade union workers, is deeply concerned by how this public dispute can undermine our bargaining power within the workplaces we are active in. This branch believes that Unite’s leadership has the power to de-escalate the dispute and address the concerns raised by its workers.

Sharon Graham has also been criticised for a bizarre Christmas email she sent to union members, which has been described as ‘ME ME ME ME’ and a threat to ‘smash’ all her critics within the union. Lawyers acting for Graham, her husband and Unite threatened Skwawkbox for a press enquiry and have reportedly been behaving similarly with other journalists posing questions.

Note: this article has been amended to remove the word ‘unanimous’, as early reports of unanimity were inaccurate.

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.