Statement by the Grass Roots Left Secretariat on the election of the General Secretary of the GMB

Defend the victimised GMB members, Keith Henderson, Steve Forrest and Maria! 20-11-2015

 Sir Paul Kenny - over ten years General Secretary of the GMB; never once actually elected to the post.

The election for the General Secretary of the General Municipal and Boilermakers union (the GMB) just concluded was in our opinion a bureaucratic stitch-up of monumental proportions as we will attempt to show in this account.

The report Electoral Reform Services on the election for the General Secretary of the GMB, issued on 12 November, declared:

Number of voting papers despatched: 610,023, Number of voting papers returned to the scrutineer: 26,658, Turnout: 4.4%, Number of votes found to be spoiled or otherwise invalid: 170, Total number of valid votes to be counted: 26,488. Tim Roache was declared the winner with 15,034 votes (56.7%) and Paul McCarthy got 11,454 (43.3%). [1]

Tim Roache has been elected to the highest office in the union on the votes of 2.46% of the membership. The bureaucratic centralism of the GMB leaders, and particularly under the most recent leadership of Sir Paul Kenny, has led to a mass alienation of almost the entire membership.

A series of comments on the Left Futures website on the day the election result was released shows this graphically.

James Martin posted:

“I hope he (Tim Roache) will look to reverse the bureaucratic deadness of GMB structures which go a long way to explain such an appalling turnout. Branches barely exist, everything is run by full time officials and ‘rank and file’ is an alien concept. As a result GMB are slowly but surely being squeezed out of education, most recognition agreements in academies don’t even bother to mention them as there are no activists to raise it and the full timers are finding they are either too busy or just lack the local knowledge to intervene anymore, and I suspect this is repeated in other local authority and former local authority areas. But without lay activists it is hard to see how GMB would ever win a ballot under the latest Tory anti-TU laws.” [2]

He went on the say:

“…I do speak as a GMB member for around 5 years. Prior to that due to various jobs I was in Unite, PCS/CPSA, Unison/Nupe and the NUR. I was a rep and branch officer in most of those, as well as being president of a trades council for a decade… But what I have learned from three decades of trade union activism is that GMB is the worst union in terms of activists I have ever been a member of (which given I’ve been a member of Unison is quite a feat). It is also the one where regional officials have the most power (including being able to close down branches)… As I say, the highly top-down bureaucratic nature of the GMB will if it is not changed be its undoing.” [3]

On the 16 November 2015 Chris Jones expressed his hopes for a better future:

“Well hopefully now that a left winger and Corbyn supporter has been elected, activism in the GMB will be regenerated. Great news.” [4]

James Martin was still a little sceptical:

“I hope so Chris. I tend to agree with a lot of Keith Henderson’s analysis of the bureaucratic deadness within GMB that reduces rank and file involvement to alarmingly low levels [5]  – and it was a shame (but no surprise) he didn’t get enough nominations to get on the ballot paper. Keith some may recall is the former GMB full time official and Labour Party member who was sacked, and his Employment Tribunal decided that while his dismissal was fair, he had suffered direct discrimination and harassment because of his “left-wing democratic socialist beliefs” and awarded him damages. The ET said that his socialist beliefs did constitute a philosophical belief and was capable of protection under the Equality Act (always useful to remember!). GMB appealed and won on the basis that the attack on his beliefs was not a pattern of behaviour but within a single act (by Paul Kenny no less – no wonder he was made a lord!). [6]”

In February (As soon as he was aware that the election for the General Secretary was called) Keith Henderson announced that he would like to seek nominations.

Keith is a member of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC), the Grass Roots Left and a former Regional Officer of the GMB London Region. His working life has been committed to trade unionism.

In December 2012, Keith was dismissed from his employment with the GMB following his actions in carrying out the wishes of its members. Keith had organised a picket of Parliament on the day of action in the public sector pensions’ dispute on 30^th November 2011 which followed a democratic decision of the GMB members employed in the House of Commons who had voted to take strike action and who had also voted to organise picket lines on the Houses of Parliament on the day of the strike.

Paul Kenny, the General Secretary, contacted Keith directly by phone, shouting at him, claiming that his actions were too left wing and over the top, insisting that Labour MPs be allowed to cross the picket lines.

Keith stands for the election of all union officers who should be accountable to democratically elected bodies of lay members at a National and Regional level. He also stands for devolving resources from a National and Regional level to a workplace and a local level.

 

Tim Roache, GMB General Secretary elect; 2.46% of the votes from the ballots issued secured his election, surely a record low for the election to the top post of any union.

John McDonnell MP (now Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer) wrote to Paul Kenny on 18 October 2013, and said:

“Many Labour MPs supported the strike and rightfully respected the picket lines. This appears to have upset some in the office of the Labour leader… This must be the first time a trade union, and possibly any employer, has been found to have considered a person being a Left wing democratic socialist as part of the reasoning for sacking him. I am sure you agree that the union would not want to be associated with any finding of discriminatory treatment of an employee on the basis of his belief in democratic socialism.” [7]

Keith proposed to stand on a Manifesto found here: [8] which outlines in more detail the mechanics of reintroducing democracy, accountability and devolution of power in the GMB. Unfortunately Keith was denied the opportunity of standing for General Secretary by what are in our opinion outrageous bureaucratic byzantine manoeuvrings that would make those ancient emperors blush.

Keith was forced to go to the Certification Officer because all his avenues of appeal were exhausted within the GMB. The Certification Officer has considered Keith’s complaint and has sent it to the GMB who now have an opportunity to reply. 

The five heads of complaint are:

 

1) On or around 1 July 2015 GMB breached section 47 (1) of the 1992 Act in that the Union’s by-law 13 relating to the Election of General Secretary and Treasurer 2015 prevented Mr Henderson, and other lay members of the union, from contacting branches to advise them of their intention to stand as a candidate in the election for the post of General Secretary and Treasurer.

2) On or around 1 July 2015 GMB breached section 47 (1) of the 1992 Act in that the nomination period of 8 weeks was insufficient for intended nominees to gain the required nominations from 30 branches and was insufficient for branches to arrange and hold meetings to decide upon whether to support a given individual’s nomination.

3) On or around 1 July 2015 GMB breached section 47 (1) of the 1992 Act in that the Union’s London Central X58 branch was not provided with the necessary papers/information for the election of General Secretary and Treasurer, including the nomination form, until 3 weeks into the nomination period which curtailed the 8 week nomination period thereby leaving insufficient time to write to branch members, arrange a suitable date for a nomination meeting, arrange a venue and give reasonable notice to members of such a meeting.

4) On or around 1 July 2015 GMB breached section 47 (1) of the 1992 Act in that the Union did not provide sufficient information that the election of General Secretary and Treasurer was being held and, in particular, most members did not know of the 22 June to 17 August 2015 nomination period as no written notification to the membership was allowed and there was no notification on the Union’s website.

5) On or around 30 June 2015 GMB breached the Union’s by-law 13 in that Regional Secretaries Tim Roache, Paul McCarthy and Paul Maloney and National Secretary Gary Smith contacted the Morning Star newspaper directly or indirectly which published an article stating that these Union officials were seeking nominations from the GMB branches for the election of General Secretary and Treasurer. This article constituted the issuing on behalf of candidates in the election of a text, circular or other material (whether written, typed or printed and whether communicated electronically or otherwise), other than an election address according with by-laws 6 to 12 inclusive, and so was prohibited under by-law 13.

The President and Secretary of his own Branch, London Central General X58, were suspended in part for sending out a newsletter. Such importance was given to such an innocent communication which notified the members of his own Branch that he would be asking for his own Branches nomination. Such notification was seen as “order of business” to be discussed and voted on at the branch meeting. The nomination of the Branch being open to any members who chose to put themselves forward, one of which was Keith Henderson.

The GMB by-laws were drafted such that it seems that they precluded Keith from contacting other Branch Secretaries informing them that he would like to be nominated for the position of General Secretary and Treasurer of the union.

Keith was informed (at his complaint hearing) by a Committee Member that he could verbally inform people that he was seeking to be nominated or he could telephone them to let them know, which Keith had not been made aware before, after all his years in the Union nor is it clearly stated in By-law 13.

Generally you are absolutely prohibited from writing that down in any document, email or twitter. As we can see from the above complaints to the Certification Officer contacting the Morning Star and securing what amounted to an advertisement in that paper seeking nominations somehow was not deemed in breach of those carefully crafted bylaws.

Of course, if you were a lay member you would not have those contact details and the byzantine bureaucrats made sure you had no way of getting them. However, all the full time officials would have no trouble getting those details, particularly if ‘Sir Paul Kenny’ was sympathetic.

Keith was nominated by his own branch after deliberations, questions and a vote having been taken. The meeting was open to anyone who wanted to stand and be nominated.

Keith’s nomination was acknowledged by the Returning Officer, Steve Short. For that show of defiance the outraged bureaucrats have now victimised the President and Secretary of his branch as a scorched earth lesson to all future rebels. They did not do what they were told.  How dare they not obey?

The President and Secretary were suspended from holding office and alleged to have, amongst other things, posted a totally misleading newsletter to branch members which contained canvassing support for Keith Henderson in the election of General Secretary and Treasurer, and was misleading in regard to not representing all the facts accurately, in terms of the receipt of the General Secretary and Treasurer Nomination Pact and posting process.

The President and Secretary, having taken independent legal advice, were advised that there was no breach of by-law13, if there were any inaccuracies in the newsletter, they were minor and unintentional which were corrected at the branch meeting and could be corrected again given the opportunity.

We have not experienced such control or show of power in our lifetimes, and are disgusted at such treatment. Do as you are told or face the consequences regardless of what you are asked to do is right or reasonable or doable, just do it and then argue about it or discuss it later. Do what you are told.  Is this what trade unionism is all about now?

Below is the letter imposing the punishment on the President; the Secretary’s letter was similar except she was suspended from office for two years and not the three imposed on the President.The ‘offence’ is, amongst other allegations, informing their branch members via a newsletter that Keith Henderson was seeking a nomination from his own branch to stand for the office of General Secretary:

To Steve Forrest:

 Subject: RULE 5 HEARING

Dear Steve

Further to the hearing held on Wednesday 11 November 2015, after much deliberation and examining evidence including that from both Steve Short National Returning Officer and Maria Ludkin National Legal Officer, The Regional Committee came to the following unanimous decision.

In your position of Branch President of the X58 London Central General Branch, your actions of sending a deliberately contrived and misleading newsletter to all branch members canvassing support for Keith Henderson in the forthcoming election for General Secretary and Treasurer you were in breach of Election By-Law 13 and by ignoring the instructions of the Regional Secretary and the Regional Returning Officer, we find that you were in breach of Rules 35.11, 35.13 and Rule 35.15 of the GMB Rule book.

We therefore rule that you should be removed as Branch President and no longer be eligible to stand for any posts within the GMB nor attend GMB Congresses for a period of 3 years.

I would advise that you have the right Rule (5.6) to appeal in writing to the General Secretary within one month of the decision.

Yours sincerely

Roy Dunnett, London Regional President.

If you think these actions are beyond belief and we are making it up just ask Brother Dunnett.

Signed by the GRL Secretariat:

Gerry Downing

Jerry Hicks

Ian Scott

Tushar Sakar

19-11-2015

Notes

---

[1] Electoral Reform Services 12th November 2015, GMB Election of General Secretary & Treasurer,. http://www.gmb.org.uk/assets/media/documents/congress/General%20Secretary%20&%20Treasurer%20Certified%20Report.pdf

[2] Left Futures, Left candidate wins general secretary election in GMB, http://www.leftfutures.org/2015/11/left-candidate-wins-general-secretary-election-in-gmb/

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Draft: election address for the GMB general secretary election 201, Candidate’s Name: Keith Henderson, http://grassrootsleftunite.blogspot.co.uk/2000/02/gmb-2015-general-secretary-election_23.html

[6] Opus cit, Left Futures

[7] LRC Campaign News, John McDonnell defends Keith Henderson against dismissal as officer of the GMB,

13th November 2013 http://l-r-c.org.uk/news/story/john-mcdonnell-defends-keith-henderson-against-dismissal-as-officer-of-the-/

[8] Opus cit, Left Futures.

Unite loses at Certification Officer hearing

Unite has just lost two complaints at a hearing by the Independent Trade Union Certification Officer.  He ruled that:

1. Lizanne Malone AKA 'Los Angeles Liz' had held her position on the union's Executive in breach of the union's rules and 
2. that all her branch's nominations in last year's Executive elections had been made in breach of the union's rules.

 Full story 'Professor Cludeau' on www.dearunite.com

LA Malone

McCluskey loses

Lizanne Malone was chair of BASSA branch, representing British Airways crew. She is a loyal  supporter of Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey.

Meanwhile BASSA branch members are still trying to inspect the branch's accounts under union rule 19.10. They are attempting to uncover, amongst many other things, how over £1/2 million can be spend on 'sundries' in a single year:


The Independent Trade Union Certification Officer  was set up by Harold Wilson’s reforming Labour government in 1975. 

Grass Roots Left Extended National Committee Meeting

Saturday 9 May 2015

The Wellington 37 Bennetts Hill, B2 5SN, Off New Street, 10 minutes’ walk from New Street Station. Birmingham

Time 12-3 PM

Draft Agenda

1.      Attendance/Apologies

2.      Minutes of the last meeting/matters arising.

3.      State of the GRL and the United Left and other unions – Len McCluskey, Paul Kenny, Dave Prentis, the rest of the TU leaders and the 2015 General Election

4.      Keith Henderson and Steve McKenzie will speak on the GMB General Secretary Election.

5.      Blacklisting – Dave Smith invited

6.      Workplace Reports.

7.      Proposals for Future Actions,

8.      Finance.

9.      Motions.

10.   AOB, Announcements, forthcoming events etc.

11.   Pooled fares, next meeting

Secretary’s report:

18th March 2015

Support Keith Henderson for GMB General Secretary
 

Following the statement of the 23rd February 2015, indicating that Keith Henderson will be seeking nominations, for the forthcoming General Secretary election in the GMB: this supplementary statement is being issued to clarify the reasons as to why nominations are being sought.
“I believe in democratising the GMB and defeating the reign of terror that has operated in this union for far to long” said Keith. “All officers should be elected and made accountable to the membership.” 
“It is my commitment, if elected as General Secretary, to end the reign of terror in this union that has lasted for far too long. Once achieved to a level that ensures anyone can stand in such an election, if they get the necessary support,  I will stand down as General Secretary to facilitate a free and fair election and I will aim to call a fresh general secretary election within 6 months of me being elected.
If I received enough nominations to stand and enough votes to win the election I believe it would be my job as elected General Secretary to end the reign of terror that prevents officers of the union and lay members from standing for this or any other elected position in the GMB through fear. Fear of losing your job if you are an officer and stood in such an election. Fear that you would be humiliated and deemed not competent by those in the current structures who have a vested self interest in ensuring that the status quo was maintained, if you are a lay member.
The fresh General Secretary election that I will call within 6 months of me being elected as General Secretary is to facilitate a free and fair election and to allow any officer and lay members to stand in this election without fear.”

Blacklisting:

Open ended Labour Movement inquiry into blacklisting against trade union activists needed.

I went to the Dave Smith launch of his book Blacklisted on 21 April in Bookmarks. He spoke well on the blacklisting and state and police involvement and the need for militant mobilisations like when they blocked Oxford Street and Park Lane in defence of shop stewards sacked on Crossrail etc.

He spoke on the Amicus officials who participated in the blacklisting, one in particular who openly admitted it, defending it as the most natural thing in the world. And the state involvement, spies sent in who passed over complete lists of all at meetings like those in defence of Brian Higgins in his dispute with that UCATT official and the article in the Irish Post. The state spook chaired the meetings and handed over the attendance lists, all of whom got blacklisted, of course. All this now openly admitted. When will we get revolutionary justice for this?

The Blacklisting Campaign are demanding a public inquiry and the Labour Manifesto promises a . “A full inquiry that is transparent and public”.  Ok I'd say but why not organise a Labour movement inquiry with well-known public figures to conduct (Hendy?) endorsed by as many prominent politicians and trade union leaders as possible whilst we are waiting for this? This need not be counter-posed to the demand for a full and open Public Inquiry but it would put more pressure on for one and, more importantly, the terms of reference etc. can be set democratically by those involved in the existing democratically structured rank and file committed set up for the express purpose of fighting blacklisting. Trade union officials should be encouraged to participate but should have no vote or veto on how the inquiry is to proceed. That is, after all, the entire strength of the Blacklisting campaign, its independence from the trade union bureaucracy and willingness to mobilise “with them if possible, against them if necessary”.

Public inquiries take forever to get going and the state can stymie them from the outset by setting the terms of reference in such a way so as to exclude any really useful outcome. We should not be fooled by the promise from Labour of a full public Inquiry, the terms of reference are the crucial matter here. “A full inquiry that is transparent and public” may well turn out to be an awful lot less than that, we must make sure that blacklisting class is independently put by a Labour Movement Inquiry as well.

 For instance offering immunity from prosecution to witnesses and not giving it the power to summons witnesses can render it impotent. They can drag on for years thereby postponing and effectively denying. And you have handed over to the state the defence of the militants, who they regards as the scum of the earth because they are the only real people who defend and promote the cause of the workers and oppressed, who will always be their enemies as long as capitalism exists, as Dave pointed out. The experiences of the blacklisted workers who took their cases to industrial tribunals related by Dave - incredibly they all lost even when the company admitted in full the wrong doing- shows how futile appealing to the state is without a mass movement to force concessions out of them.

I would say a Labour movement inquiry would be anti - establishment from the outset and that's what's needed in the building industry. And not just the building industry, the discussion outlined how it already existed in most industries and the building industry firms were spreading it to the NHS through PPF etc.

Blacklisting in the Election Manifestos - update 14 April 2015

STEVE MCKENZIE

To

henderson.keith1985@gmail.com

CC

jerryhicks4gs2010@yahoo.co.uk grahamdurham@hotmail.com Steve Forrest 3 GERALD DOWNING

Apr 15

This must be turned into reality if Labour can form a government after 7th May

1. Blacklisting makes the General Election manifestos

Labour: 

"Some sectors and occupations have particular issues of concern that need to be addressed, such as the problems of false self-employment and blacklisting uncovered by recent investigations. Self-employment is a vital part of our economy, but there is evidence that in some cases it is being wrongly used to avoid tax and employment rights, notably in the construction industry. Labour will tackle bogus self employment in construction and a set up a full inquiry that is transparent and public to examine the issue of blacklisting. Recognising historic cases, we will release all papers concerning the ‘Shrewsbury 24’ trials". 

Page 13 - http://b.3cdn.net/labouruk/0d7eac1a5ecd182f46_e8m6ivtck.pdf

https://usilive.org/ucatt-welcomes-labours-blacklisting-pledge/

Green:

"End Blacklisting - We will set up a full investigation into blacklisting in the construction industry and consider the creation of a new criminal offence"

Page 46 - https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/manifesto/Green_Party_2015_General_Election_Manifesto.pdf

Plaid Cymru:

"Plaid Cymru will legislate against blacklisting"  

Page 11 - https://www.partyof.wales/2015-manifesto/

TUSC:

"Fully independent public inquiry into police collusion in the scandal of blacklisting"

Blacklisting firms fund the Tories

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/100-fatcats-who-backed-tory-5443724

2. Public Inquiry 

Blacklisted workers continue to campaign for a fully independent public inquiry into the blacklisting scandal and for a public inquiry into the role of undercover police spying on trade unions and other peaceful democratic campaigners. Teresa May has announced a public inquiry into police spying. Labour & Greens have pledged some kind of inquiry / investigation into the blacklisting scandal. Professor Keith Ewing (long time friend & supporter of the Blacklist Support Group) asks whether the proposed inquires will go far enough and actually uncover the full story of police spying on trade unions. 

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-24c9-Which-of-us-are-being-watched

  3. Blacklisted Book reviews and tour dates 

Reviews by blacklisted workers Brian Higgins and Pete Shaw in the UK and others around the world

http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2015/04/09/blacklisted/

http://socialistreview.org.uk/401/blacklisted

http://socialistunity.com/blacklisted-the-secret-war-against-trade-unionists/

http://www.equaltimes.org/uk-mps-call-for-inquiry-into#.VS1SVfnF8ud

http://workinglife.org.au/2015/04/10/revealed-how-police-spied-on-uk-workers/

Blacklisted Book Tour Dates

April 

Tues 21st - London - Bookmarks (6:30pm) https://bookmarksbookshop.co.uk/events

Sat 25th - SWTUC - Devon 

Sun 26th - CWU conference Bournemouth with Billy Hayes (12:30) 

Tues 28th - Liverpool - Jack Jones House, Unite offices (6pm) 

Wed 29th - Liverpool - News from Nowhere (am) 

Wed 29th - Leeds Trades Council public meeting Swathmore Centre (7pm)

May

Fri 1st - Manchester, Kings Arms Salford (6pm)

Mon 4th - Kent Workers Festival, Aylesham  

Wed 13th  - FBU conference Blackpool with Matt Wrack  (5:30pm) 

Thur 14th  - Bristol - Tony Benn House, Unite office (6pm) 

Fri 15th  - Bristol - UWE CESR seminar (2pm) www1.uwe.ac.uk/bl/bbs/bbsresearch/cesr/cesrseminars.aspx

Sat 16th - London - Bishopsgate Institute 

Wed 20th - Nottingham - Fine Leaves Books (7pm) 

June

Wed 10th - GMB conference Dublin 

Thur 25th - Glastonbury Festival 

July 

Fri 10th - Durham Miners Gala - NUM office Redhills, pre-festival events(5pm)   

Sat 18th - Tolpuddle Festival  

Any other trades councils, festival stages or conferences else wanting a speaker please feel free to contact us. 

Please keep posting your photos of people reading the book to Facebook and twitter with the hashtag #blacklistedbook 

http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/

4. United We Stand 

The brilliant play about the Shrewsbury Pickets continues its UK tour in the run up to the General Election. If you haven't seen this play yet - book your ticket asap.

http://www.townsendproductions.org.uk/productions/united-we-stand

5. Blacklisting in the airline sector

Victoria Weldon

AN aircraft engineer who claims he was sacked after raising safety concerns over procedures at British Airways is suing the airline for unfair dismissal.

John Higgins, who worked as an aircraft maintenance supervisor for the firm, claims he made protected disclosures to BA and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) over who was allowed to sign off on work carried out on aircraft.

Mr Higgins, from High Blantyre in South Lanarkshire, had a 27-year unblemished career with the airline. He was dismissed when he installed the wrong part on a plane at British Airways Maintenance Glasgow (BAMG) in March last year.

He claims he made the mistake because he was under extreme pressure due to staffing problems, an excessive workload and unreasonable timescales and said the error "did not compromise the safe operation of the aircraft".

However, BA found that it did and dismissed him before offering him a demoted post on appeal - a proposal which Mr Higgins rejected, leaving him to resign.

In a written statement submitted to an employment tribunal in Glasgow, Mr Higgins - who now works for Monarch Airlines - said: "I raised concerns during 2006 and 2007 that BA was not complying with full safety requirements in carrying out their aircraft maintenance.

"The disclosure I made was that at my workplace of British Airways, 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the aircraft maintenance work was not being performed in strict compliance with CAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) safety provisions.

"It was my belief that this was a serious safety lapse which could potentially result in fatalities."

Mr Higgins claimed he met with CAA officials to discuss his concerns, resulting in them issuing seven findings of failure against BA and an EASA working group being set up to look at the issue.

However lawyer Samantha Cooper, acting for BA, suggested that neither were directly linked to Mr Higgins's alleged disclosure.

Miss Cooper also suggested there was no basis for him to allege that the approach taken by BA was contrary to regulations.

Mr Higgins replied: "I saw flaws with it."

BA manager Stuart McMahon said he had checked with the CAA and they had no record of Mr Higgins's disclosures, however he accepted under cross-examination that this did not mean they had not been made.

The tribunal was told that BAMG was seriously short-staffed on March 1 and 2 last year when Mr Higgins was overseeing contractors working on an Airbus A321.

One of the contractors damaged a wire and Mr Higgins repaired it with a splice which turned out to be the wrong one.

When he returned to work later that week he was suspended and claims he was told by a manager: "I am so sorry. I can't have another Air Malaysian situation here and need to send you home."

BA argue that the repair Mr Higgins carried out was important to the safety of the plane. They also claim he did not properly record the repair and failed to pick up on poor wiring by a contractor.

Miss Cooper put it to the engineer that supervisors had told him to just do what he could on the days in question. He said he had tried to do that.

She accused Mr Higgins of being reckless and he replied: "I don't agree with that."

He added: "I did the best I could under the circumstances."

The tribunal also heard from BA manager Brian Queally who took the decision to dismiss Mr Higgins.

In a written statement, he said staff are never expected to "cut corners" due to time pressures, adding: "The potential impact of the claimant's use of the incorrect splice was huge. If the splice failed it could have affected the correct functioning of the landing gear, resulting in a potential catastrophic incident."

The manager also said he had no knowledge of Mr Higgins's disclosures about safety concerns prior to dismissing him.

The tribunal, before Employment Judge Susan Walker, continues.

Comment on Lufur Rahman​  and Tower Hamlets:

Lufur Bajlur Rahman​  was a left wing Labour politician who opposed austerity as best he could, part of the leftist Ken Livingstone GLC opposition to Thatcher. Tower Hamlets, under his leadership, supported the campaign against blacklisting – see below. Of course no revolutionary but the 'establishment', could not and will not tolerate that. Look at the judgement. A bigoted Tory Islamophobe, in coalition with a racist, bigoted Labour bureaucracy are desperate to let us know that there is no future for the working class and oppressed poor other than serving the economic and political interests of the masters of life, the global finance capitalist bankers and transnational corporations.

The BBC Panorama is the organ of the state to tell us all that our role in life is to enhance the privileges and profits of the ruling classes. And a mass media and political class who will parrot the interests of the ruling class as some of the grovelling comments I have seen on this do. What else are we here for if not to make sure that the capitalist and bankers have no opposition to their domination of the planet?

Shame on those 'Rahman is corrupt' careerist bandwagoners in the Labour party and trade unions who cheer because the Tory judge delivered his ruling on behalf of his class and privileges. Is there any vestige of socialism left in the rotten souls of those who grovel in this way?

Mayor Rahman stands convicted of corruption although there is absolutely no proof presented that he personally benefited in any way, he is “corrupt” because he defended the interests of the poor and oppressed and mobilised too well in that cause, albeit not in a revolutionary way but in a radical left reformist way. But this is altogether too much. Contrast this to the gaggle of Westminster parliamentarian actually caught with their hands in the till in the expense scandals, stealing money for personal enrichment, how sympathetically and leniently they were threatened, with only the most blatant cases punished. The old boys’ and girls’ network worked well for them.

The Daily Telegraph photo and article: Andy Erlam, Angela Moffat and Azmal Hussein, who petitioned against Lutfur Rahman

Four people are needed and so Mr Erlam was joined by Angela Moffat, 47, a Ukip member, Azmal Hussein, 63, a Brick Lane restaurateur, and Debbie Simone, 44, a Labour candidate who felt she too had been cheated.

The Labour party candidate, Debbie Simone,, was obviously ashamed to be publicly photographed with the UKIP candidate, Angela Moffat, but Ken Livingstone is not afraid to charge the Tower Hamlets Labour party with racism and co-operating with UKIP to appeal to racist bigotry seems to confirm it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11560197/Lutfur-Rahman-petitioner-accuses-Met-Police-of-corruption.html

Council pledges to take action against the blacklisting of workers

Tower Hamlets Council is the first council in the country to pledge to take action against the blacklisting of workers in the borough.

An emergency motion, tabled at a meeting of the Full Council on September 18, was unanimously agreed by all parties.

It formally stated the council’s support of the GMB union’s campaign against the blacklisting of construction workers, a process whereby those workers perceived to be union activists were prevented from accessing employment. The chamber also agreed that it would be unacceptable for any company in a contractual relationship with the council to engage in blacklisting.

The council resolved to support the pledge made by Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, to take action against blacklisting in Tower Hamlets.

Council members also resolved to invite the GMB’s National Officer to address the next meeting of Full Council to assist them in implementing the pledge.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “Tower Hamlets was the first council to introduce the London Living Wage in 2009 and we take the welfare and well-being of working people very seriously. I am proud to say that not only does Tower Hamlets not have any active contracts with the companies involved in this practice, but that it never will.”

GMB has raised the profile of the practice of blacklisting workers by publishing a list of companies that use a network of private investigators to compile databases of workers perceived as union activists or agitators. Companies then used the database to run illegal background checks and deny work to those on the list.

Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite the Union said: "Tower Hamlets is blazing a trail by becoming the first London council to stamp out blacklisting. This is a fantastic development and we commend the council for their positive action. We are urging other councils to take note of the Tower Hamlets decision to ban the blacklisters and to follow suit."

September 19, 2013

UCATT reports:

Welsh Government issues anti-blacklisting guidance

In September 2013 the Welsh Government became the first devolved administration to issue guidance to all public bodies and local authorities detailing how they could bar construction companies involved in blacklisting from public sector contracts.

Prior to this a number of local authorities had already passed motions calling on companies that had been involved in blacklisting to be barred from bidding for contracts.

Also in September 2013 Tower Hamlets Council became the first council to issue a pledge not to award any contracts to any of the companies guilty of blacklisting workers.

Following the guidance issued by the Welsh Government, UCATT are urging all devolved administrations and the British Government to issue similar guidance

http://www.ucatt.org.uk/welsh-government-issues-anti-blacklisting-guidance