‘Toxic’ Culture Remains at Scandal-Hit TSSA Union as Strike Looms Over Alleged Bullying

Unions should, in theory, be model employers. Nearly all of them recognise other unions in order to represent their own staff. They have a clear ethos to improve workers’ lives, and values rooted in dialogue between employees and bosses.

Sometimes though, the public image doesn’t match the internal reality. 

Staff at one leading transport union have been taking strike action amid allegations of a toxic culture and a “bullying” attitude from the union’s new General Secretary – who was elected on a reforming platform following previous harassment scandals. 

The Labour-affiliated Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) saw its previous general secretary, Manuel Cortes, dismissed for gross misconduct following a report by Helena Kennedy KC that revealed widespread bullying, sexual harassment, a ‘problem drinking’ culture, and allegations of financial misconduct within the union. 

However, officials Byline Times has spoken to say the situation at the union has only got worse.

“None of the promised changes have happened, and they’ve actually rolled back on implementing the [Baroness] Kennedy report”, one official explains.

TSSA, which has around 18,000 members, represents many white-collar workers in transport, including HQ staff at most of the major train operators, Transport for London, and HS2 employees. 

Maryam Eslamdoust, a former Labour councillor in the London borough of Camden, was elected as the TSSA’s new general secretary last September. She became the first woman of colour to head a national trade union in the UK. She had little trade union experience but was backed by the Executive Committee as an outsider who could get to grips with the scandal-hit union. 

Eslamdoust was tasked with reforming the union and implementing recommendations from the Kennedy report. Activists and staff members hoped for a fresh start. However, those Byline Times has spoken to say the situation has actually deteriorated under her leadership. 

“It’s appalling. She’s using bully boy tactics” one official claims. “It’s rule by diktat”. Byline Times has protected sources’ identities so they could speak freely. 

A spokesperson for the union strongly denied claims of a “bully boy” culture under Eslamdoust.

However, earlier this year, TSSA staff, represented by the GMB union, voted overwhelmingly (93% in favour with an 85% turnout) for strike action, citing a “culture of bullying, harassment and victimisation”, under her leadership. 

In April, they took strike action. In response, Eslamdoust launched a public attack on the GMB union’s leadership, suggesting the strike was part of a plot to take over the TSSA. GMB’s leadership branded it “utter nonsense”.

A TSSA source told Byline Times it showed a “lack of understanding of how unions work,” adding: “GMB [leaders] are not controlling the members who work for TSSA.” Another GMB member there added the takeover claims were “misinformation”. 

Major Transport Union to be Told to Make Sweeping Changes After Inquiry Into Sexism

‘When you raise concerns about sexism in your union, you get “the right-wing press will get hold of this”. We’ve heard it so many times’, one whistle-blower told Byline Times

Josiah Mortimer

In an email to TSSA branches, Eslamdoust claimed that: “GMB have made it impossible to resolve any genuine issues that TSSA staff may have by refusing to set out any specific details of the matters they say are in dispute.” 

In June, 15 further days of strike action were called over the dispute. Some senior figures – including the General Secretary – and contractors were accused of breaking the picket lines by continuing to go into the office.   

A union spokesperson strongly denied an allegation that a Human Resources figure said “we’ll just starve out” the striking staff. 

TSSA employees, the vast majority of whom are understood to be GMB members, have been on a work-to-rule over the summer, meaning out-of-hours (outside of 9am-5pm) work has largely stopped, causing headaches during this week’s TUC gathering in Brighton. 

The dispute has now escalated again, with a full week of strike action set to start on Monday 16th September. Dozens of TSSA workers are predicted to take part (in 2022 the union had 47 staffers).

Update 5pm, 13th September: This outlet understands that the week of strike action has now been postponed for talks to take place. The dispute remains active.

Actions from the General Secretary which have sparked controversy this year include laying off trainee organisers – union staff who work to boost membership and organise workers – and allegedly suspending or demoting several employees who disagreed with some of Eslamdoust’s decisions.

The staff GMB branch has reportedly passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in Eslamdoust as well as the union’s president, Melissa Heywood. 

The official conciliation body, ACAS, was brought in to try and resolve the dispute. But the talks broke down, with some staffers accusing management of refusing to budge on GMB members’ demands. 

Responding to Byline Times, a TSSA spokesperson said: “TSSA management is fully committed to resolving what is an internal dispute and ensuring that we can move forward together to secure a bright future for our union and deliver effectively for all our members.  

Rail Union Condemns ‘30 Years of Waste’ as England Marks Three Decades of Privatisation

Renationalising the railways remains highly popular amid transport delays, cancellations, expensive fares and strikes.

Josiah Mortimer

“We categorically refute any allegations of a ‘diktat’ or ‘bullying’ approach in our handling of this matter. At no time has language been used such as that which you attribute to TSSA HR, nor would it ever be used or tolerated by anyone at TSSA. 

“Our focus remains on fostering a respectful and collaborative environment for all staff, as we actively implement the recommendations from both the Kennedy and Conley reports.”

The Conley report in February 2023 was an investigation commissioned by the union and run by Professor Hazel Conley and Dr Stefano Gasparri at the University of the West of England. It made some of the same findings of the former senior leadership team, including the then General Secretary, as the later Kennedy report. 

It found: “The senior management culture described by the staff and members we interviewed is ‘cliquey’ and ‘toxic’, predicated on bullying, harassment and sexual harassment, using fear, victimisation and legal means to build ‘a wall of silence’. 

“The behaviour of the senior management team is ultimately the responsibility of the executive committee. Interviewees felt that poor behaviour goes unchecked because the executive committee is not sufficiently in control of the senior management team.” 

But a TSSA spokesperson said they take working to implement both reports’ recommendations “extremely seriously”.

Several officials Byline Times spoke too, however, say this is not happening. 

Westminster Attacks on Workers’ Rights Sees UK’s Global Rating Tumble

Thousands of workers face being sacked for not crossing their own picket lines if new Westminster legislation passes

Josiah Mortimer

As one official said: “It’s horrendous. Previously, under [interim Gen Sec] Peter Pendle, we enjoyed being in the office. Now no one’s there. Everyone’s scared. People coordinate coming in together because no one wants to be alone.

“You can’t just go to work and do your job. You’re scared she’ll twist whatever you say against you. It’s your word against hers, and she has the power. The culture is completely worse [than pre-Kennedy report]. I’ve heard people saying they’d rather return to the Cortes days. It’s very sad. I don’t think there’s much future for the union, in the medium-term.”

Others echoed the fear that without major change, including an Executive Committee that is able to push back against the General Secretary when needed, the union faces years of “managed decline”, as a source put it. 

The allegedly top-down set up “looks more like a 19th century approach than one that works for the 21st century” they added. 

Baroness Kennedy, who conducted the bombshell report which led to several senior management figures and the previous General Secretary being ousted, was unavailable for comment. 

Baroness Kennedy’s report suggested a new Code of Conduct for the General Secretary, stating: “The General Secretary [must] understand the importance and profile of their role as a figurehead and advocate, not just for the TSSA, but for the union movement, and so commit to best endeavours of exemplar conduct in both public and private life.

“The General Secretary [must] commit to seeking, proactively and regularly, feedback from diverse groups – staff, members, volunteers and Executive Committee members – on their role-modelling of these values and their operation of this Code of Conduct.”

Despite a stagnating membership, for now, the union has several million in reserves from the £6m sale of its former Euston HQ to make way for the planned new HS2 station. After that point, its future is uncertain. 

A spokesperson for the Trades Union Congress declined to comment. The GMB union did not respond to requests for comment.

Subscribers Get More from JOSIAH

Josiah Mortimer also writes the On the Ground column, exclusive to the print edition of Byline Times.

So for more from him…

Subscribe to Byline Times