Sexual harassment in workplaces must not be tolerated, says TUC

As this magazine went to press, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady and TUC president Sue Ferns were set to meet the TSSA president and senior representatives to discuss and advise on setting up an independent investigation into claims of sexual harassment and misconduct at the transport union.

“We must stop sexual harassment in our unions and in our workplaces, whenever and wherever it happens,” said O’Grady. The remit of the investigation must be wide enough to hear from current and former staff and cover the wider organisational culture, she added.

The TUC also criticised ministers for failing to include an employment bill in the Queen’s Speech last month. It warned that without the bill, the government’s promise to make employers responsible for preventing sexual harassment “risks falling by the wayside”, as the policy needs primary legislation to carry it forward.