Union conference abandoned after head office staff walk out

Staff working at the RMT transport union’s London head office walked out for four days last month forcing its annual conference in Leeds to be abandoned and the office to close.

The immediate dispute appeared to be around bullying and harassment of staff by conference delegates, though the Morning Star newspaper reported a member of staff saying: “The shocking events at this year’s AGM should not be seen in isolation.

“In recent years a toxic culture of bullying, violence and harassment has been allowed to fester and grow inside the union, with the perpetrators receiving little or no punishment.”

Former general secretary Mick Cash stepped down from the job in 2020 citing harassment from NEC members as the source of his stress. Both he and current leader Mick Lynch, who was then Cash’s deputy, had taken time off work with stress.

On their return to the office, Lynch urged staff to “work together amicably towards a mutual solution.”

He reiterated that “everyone in our organisation has the entitlement to work in a safe environment and that mutual respect for each other is observed at all times.”