Employment tribunal claims involving senior staff at GMB have brought renewed scrutiny to the union’s internal governance and handling of workplace complaints. The allegations centre on how grievances and disciplinary processes were managed at senior level, at a time when the organisation has been working to reform its internal culture.
The claims, first reported by the Guardian, relate to complaints of bullying and harassment made by two senior female members of staff. One of the women has since been dismissed and is bringing a claim for unfair dismissal, while the other remains employed but is currently off sick. Both cases raise questions about how complaints were investigated and whether disciplinary action was handled separately from grievance procedures.
The developments come as the union continues to operate under the shadow of an independent review published several years ago, which identified deep-rooted cultural problems and made a series of recommendations for reform. A subsequent follow up review is understood to have found that a number of those recommendations remain only partially implemented.
Dismissal claim follows complaint of bullying and harassment
According to the Guardian, the dismissed senior staff member was investigated and later sacked following allegations of racist comments. The dismissal took place months after she had submitted a formal complaint alleging bullying and harassment by senior male colleagues, including the general secretary.
After her dismissal, she contacted members of the union’s central executive committee, saying she believed the decision to terminate her employment amounted to retaliation for raising concerns. She also alleged failures of governance and urged the committee to intervene.
The union subsequently sought a High Court injunction to secure the return of hundreds of documents retained by the former employee. It said the data related to multiple members of staff and had been held in breach of contract.
In response, the union said the dismissal was unrelated to the complaints she had raised. It said the allegations of bullying and harassment were investigated and not upheld, and that the dismissal followed serious grievance findings relating to racism.
A representative acting for the dismissed employee challenged that account, saying she had been dismissed without a proper investigation or hearing. He said that the minimum standards set out in Acas guidance had not been followed and that the allegations were now the subject of an employment tribunal claim.
Second complaint raises further concerns
A second senior female staff member also contacted the central executive committee, according to the Guardian, saying she had reported bullying and harassment involving union leadership. She remains employed but is currently off sick.
It is understood she told the committee that she felt unable to ignore what she described as unacceptable behaviour by those in positions of power. She reportedly warned that the organisation was being damaged by actions at the top.
The union said it had investigated her whistleblowing complaint over a three month period in line with its policies and procedures. It said the investigation concluded that the allegations were not substantiated and found no evidence of wrongdoing.
The union added that it does not comment on matters relating to individual employees and said it has a duty to protect staff wellbeing and confidentiality.
Culture reform remains under scrutiny
The renewed claims come several years after an independent review found the union to be institutionally sexist and made recommendations aimed at improving culture, governance and staff confidence in internal processes. A follow-up assessment conducted last year is understood to have found that fewer than half of those recommendations had been fully implemented.
In a statement, the union said progress had been made and that working groups had been established to complete outstanding actions. A senior staff representative said employee representatives were working with leadership to ensure remaining recommendations were implemented and that the process was nearing completion.
The latest tribunal claims place renewed focus on whether organisational reforms have translated into consistent practice, particularly when complaints involve senior figures. With legal proceedings under way, the cases are likely to be closely watched as a test of how internal policies operate under pressure and how governance arrangements function when senior leadership is directly implicated.
