Despite having recognition withdrawn by British Gas management, victimised UNISON steward Bernie Hynes has again been reelected as a staff representative, with 90 per cent of those balloted indicating support in a secret workplace ballot.
Management have shown their contempt for this result by replying to the Branch Secretary that they still refuse to recognise the repre sentative chosen by the members.
Bernie's Industrial Tribunal has started. The tribunal took evidence from only two management witnesses, who are supported by a barrister and solicitor, and has now. been extended to a second day on 23 March 1998, when Bernie and the third management witness will give evidence.
Evidence given already, some of which has been contradicted elsewhere by one management witness, suggests that the decision on derecognition was made at national level involving at least one director of the company on or before 14 October 1997.
The Area Service Centre Manager also gave an explanation that he had himself not chosen an Adolf Hitler outfit to wear at a Christmas party in the canteen; his defence is that it was chosen for him by one of the other management witKennes Bernie has been unsuccessful in his campaign to obtain specialist legal representation at regional level or permission to put forward his own witnesses.
Management instigated a disciplinary action against Bernie for using company facilities to communicate with union members. He has appealed against this disciplinary but has been hampered by lack of support for his appeal from the Regional Officer, and UNISON Legal Affairs department appears to have ruled out any support for a further Industrial Tribunal application over the disciplinary action itself.
Letter Dave Johnson, the Deputy Head of Energy at UNISON HQ, (who appears to be an avid Socialist Outlook reader), has relaunched his attacks on Bernie, describing him as both "mischievous " "and "dishonest" for publishing a letter to him from management which refers to prior conversations about Bernie.
Dave Johnson is currently receiving praise for a groundbreaking pay agreement in British Gas Trading, replacing forty years of hard won pay structure with performance related pay. Clearly, the national media and management regards him as him as a super salesman of management ideas and proposals to the UNISON membership in Gas. Hopefully, the BGT members will reject the agreement in their current ballot on the deal.
The internal company procedures have now been exhausted, with derecognition being upheld on the grounds that Bernie published criticisms of local managers to UNISON members.
The current onslaught on Gas members should be seen in the context of the drive to make the industry "competitive", and of global multinational strategies to drive down pay and conditions for gas workers.
This strategy has been rejected by members based at Leicester, but this has not been enough to prevent some national defeats in. ballot results. Some members are becoming demoralised.
The approach of the current union leadership will only result in further loss of morale - members should follow the Leicester lead and fight back against the sell-outs being negotiated.