Eslamdoust gives no specific reasons for yet another suspension of a critic of its woeful general secretary
The TSSA rail union has been riven by member disgust and staff walkouts over the conduct of its general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust.
Eslamdoust took over supposedly to put right the abuse and sexual harassment of the previous Cortes regime – yet has triggered an escalating staff strike and a series of no-confidence votes because of abuse, intimidation and what staff say is her high-handed behaviour and her lack of understanding of how unions work. She got the job of general secretary after the union’s executive asked members to vote for her despite a complete lack of relevant union experience.
And now Eslamdoust has suspended former TSSA assistant general secretary Steve Coe – who has been critical of her conduct and supportive of striking staff – without even giving details of any specific reason for the suspension. And as Coe pointed out on his Facebook profile, the suspension came a year almost to the day since he was awarded the union’s prestigious Gold Award for his services:
One TSSA member told Skwawkbox:
Is he bullying Maryam Eslamdoust by standing up for workers? This looks exactly like the way Keir Starmer behaves.
The suspension comes only a couple of days after Eslamdoust suspended another senior figure. On Monday, Marios Alexandrou found out that delegates to TSSA’s conference had elected him as Trustee of the union – and moments later he was told that Eslamdoust had suspended him and he could not take up his elected duties:
Conference attendees were informed of the suspension before Alexandrou, in what some union members considered a breach of data and privacy:
The conference was already in chaos, with more than half of delegates – seemingly those critical of Eslamdoust – prevented from entering and a no-confidence motion blocked from debate and a vote despite staff strikes escalating dramatically.
The workers are taking action against what they say is a continuation, under Eslamdoust, of the bullying, abuse and intimidation that was exposed under former general secretary Manuel Cortes – and accused Eslamdoust of crossing their picket line on the first day of strike action.
Staff also unanimously voted no confidence in Eslamdoust last month and have criticised what they say is a smear campaign mounted by the union’s management against them, extending even to communications to union members attacking staff and attempts to bypass striking workers to negotiate directly with the head of the GMB union that represents them at work. A union branch representing a third of all members has also voted no confidence in her.
Now staff are accusing their general secretary of using suspensions as a tool to protect herself from the consequences of her actions – and of doing so in a way reminiscent of Keir Starmer’s anti-democratic Labour regime.
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