Transport union elects women to president and treasurer posts

Members of the TSSA rail staff union have elected the union’s first ever all-female president and treasurer team, as the union makes its way out of the sexual harassment and bullying scandal recently engulfing it.

Melissa Heywood has been elected as president, while Mary Sithole is the first black woman to be elected as treasurer.

The result came as the union’s annual conference rejected appeals from former general secretary, Manuel Cortes, and former interim organising director, Luke Chester, who had been dismissed for gross misconduct.

This followed the inquiry by Baroness Kennedy, which found a culture of sexual harassment and bullying in the union and identified Cortes and Chester among those most responsible.

The two had previously appealed at an internal hearing, which had upheld the dismissals, but under the union’s rulebook they were able to appeal further to TSSA conference.

They had to do so by video link, rather than in person, in deference to people present at the conference who had been affected by their actions.

The dismissals were confirmed by conference which, as it is the sovereign body of the union, means the decision is final.

TSSA interim president Marios Alexandrou said: “Today our union has taken significant steps forward in our determination to fully implement the findings of [the Kennedy report].”