Staff at Unite the Union to strike over 'bullying and victimisation'
Unite’s failure to act over bullying and victimisation allegations is ‘unacceptable’ and GMB members have ‘quite simply had enough’.
GMB Union members working in Unite the Union's National Bargaining and Disputes Support Unit (BDSU) have voted to strike over 'bullying and victimisation' from management.
A group of workers will now walk out for four days of strike action, from Tuesday 3 to Friday 6 December, after Unite failed to investigate and take action following complaints that some managers in the BDSU bullied staff and victimised those who spoke out.
The ballot, which opened on 8 November and closed today [Monday], resulted in 83% of the members who participated backing strike action.
Despite attempts by GMB to resolve this dispute, Unite has been unwilling to address the members’ concerns or take any meaningful action.
Danny Adilypour, GMB London Regional Organiser, said:
“GMB will always support our members in standing up to bullying within their workplaces and resist any attempts to victimise them for raising their legitimate concerns.
“Our members in Unite’s National Bargaining and Disputes Support Unit proudly support other workers to take action against rogue employers. It is unacceptable that they have had to face bullying and victimisation from their own trade union employer and they are right to challenge this.
“They have been attempting to resolve their workplace concerns constructively with Unite since March, but have instead been rebuffed and victimised for raising legitimate industrial issues.
“It is deeply disappointing that there has been no effort from Unite to resolve this dispute. We have instead seen a suspicious surge of new members in this workplace joining the GMB and then immediately declaring they wish to oppose the grievances raised by their colleagues and close the dispute. These are the sort of attempted union-busting tactics we are used to when trying to unionise workers at Amazon.
“Our members have quite simply had enough and they have now voted to take strike action. This was entirely avoidable and is solely down to Unite senior management failing to enter meaningful discussions to resolve this dispute.
“We again call on Unite to take the action that is required, by addressing the bullying and victimisation that our members have experienced in their workplace and suspending the BDSU managers accused of such behaviour while these allegations are investigated.”
