ALEC McFadden, a prominent figure in the North West trade union movement, has been forced out of office following allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour’ on a march from Wirral in Merseyside to the Tory Party Conference in Manchester last year.
Mr. McFadden, as well as being a leading member of the Unite union in the North West, has been for many years the North West regional representative on the Joint Consultative Committee of the Trade Union Councils in the UK*. It is now clear that Mr. McFadden has also had to stand down from this position on the TUC-JCC, and that nomination papers have been sent out for the affiliates to the Trade Union Councils in the North West to nominate a replacement for this position as well.
Talking to the Liverpool Echo on the 13th, September this year, Mr. McFadden, a high profile member of Unite, strongly denied any wrong doing.
But following a disciplinary hearing of the Unite union Mr. McFadden has been told that he can’t hold any position of power within the union.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo McFadden said:
‘It is correct that I was subjected to a disciplinary process in relation to charges I firmly denied and continue to reject in their totality.’
McFadden added:
‘There was an agreement that I should attend an equalities training course which I am delighted to do. I have sought details of available courses and am awaiting responses. My membership of Unite was never in doubt and the fact that I remain a member of Unite has been confirmed in recent correspondence from the union.’
He said that he had been contacted by national newspapers ‘which report having been told that I was expelled from my trade union Unite’.Mr. McFadden, as well as being a leading member of the Unite union in the North West, has been for many years the North West regional representative on the Joint Consultative Committee of the Trade Union Councils in the UK*. It is now clear that Mr. McFadden has also had to stand down from this position on the TUC-JCC, and that nomination papers have been sent out for the affiliates to the Trade Union Councils in the North West to nominate a replacement for this position as well.
Talking to the Liverpool Echo on the 13th, September this year, Mr. McFadden, a high profile member of Unite, strongly denied any wrong doing.
But following a disciplinary hearing of the Unite union Mr. McFadden has been told that he can’t hold any position of power within the union.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo McFadden said:
‘It is correct that I was subjected to a disciplinary process in relation to charges I firmly denied and continue to reject in their totality.’
McFadden added:
‘There was an agreement that I should attend an equalities training course which I am delighted to do. I have sought details of available courses and am awaiting responses. My membership of Unite was never in doubt and the fact that I remain a member of Unite has been confirmed in recent correspondence from the union.’
He said: ‘That allegation is false.’
The 4-day People’s March Against Austerity 2015 began in Holylake in the constituency of former Tory MP Ester McVey.
Organised by trade unions, including Merseyside TUC & MrMcFadden, they joined a group of marchers who had started in south Wales.
A Unite union spokesman said: ‘Unite does not tolerate sexual harassment in any form. Unite can conform that the matter has been dealt with in line with the union’s disciplinary procedures. We are supporting the victim & the individual concerned has been removed from holding office in Unite.’
At the time of writing Northern Voices does have the precise details of the alleged offence Mr. McFadden is supposed to have committed, and while we do not condone any form of sexual harassment, we cannot at this moment comment on the basic justification for the charge against Mr. McFadden.
At the time of writing Northern Voices does have the precise details of the alleged offence Mr. McFadden is supposed to have committed, and while we do not condone any form of sexual harassment, we cannot at this moment comment on the basic justification for the charge against Mr. McFadden.
* Trades Union Councils' Joint Consultative Committee:
Trades Union Councils represent an important form of union organisation: local trade union branches acting together in pursuit of a common agenda within the community. The capacity for a reinvigorated Trades Union Council to take action and to mobilise workers in support of campaigns is vast. Trades Union Councils should act on this by working with trade union branches to build organisation locally, but they must also take a lead in forging links with other parts of the community. Crucial to this is identifying issues on which unions and other organisations share a common agenda – an agenda based on the pursuit of social justice.
Our argument has to be that only through union strength can we win rights at work and deliver a better quality of life for people throughout society. Trades Union Councils need to make the case for a broad coalition, which tackles injustices, both in the workplace and in the community.
Our argument has to be that only through union strength can we win rights at work and deliver a better quality of life for people throughout society. Trades Union Councils need to make the case for a broad coalition, which tackles injustices, both in the workplace and in the community.
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1 comment:
How will this effect his position as boss of the Salford Unemployed Centre? I see the Unite union appears to have ruled, but has there been any police involvement in the case?
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