Public Interest & Trade Union Disciplinaries

Editor's Statement:

AN Anonymous commentator referring to our publication of a post on this Blog entitled 'Trade Unionist Discipline: Alec McFadden case'  questioned our decision to publish Mr. McFadden's account of what happened to him.  We did this after an approach was sent  to us by the 'Defend Alec McFadden' campaign. 
Our Anonymous critic wrote: 
'You said you don't have enough evidence to form an opinion. You shouldn't then be posting this as it makes you look like you're supporting him and endorsing this article. on Trade Unionist Disciplined: Alec McFadden case.'
We published both the statement from Mr. McFadden's campaign and followed it up with a response to Northern Voices from Gail Cartmail,  Assistant General Secretary of Unite the Union in which she declared:

'In response to your email, Unite does not comment on its internal disciplinary proceedings at all, beyond saying that we believe all the correct procedures were followed in the case highlighted.'
Regards,
Gail (Gail Cartmail,  Assistant General Secretary , Unite the Union,)

Northern Voices took the view that it was in the public interest to release the McFadden statement, as the story had already been reported in the Liverpool Echo (13th, Sept. 2016), when we came to publish the story on the 19th, Oct. 2016.  We leave it to our readers to decide for themselves on the justice or not of the case against Mr. McFadden.