Walkout threat over union 'bullying'

Derek Gregory's former secretary received compensation

Officials of public services union Unison are planning to withdraw co-operation from Welsh leader Derek Gregory, who is under pressure to stand down after a court ruling he bullied his former secretary.

Earlier this month Joy Pugh, 48, was awarded damages of nearly £90,000 by a court in Swansea after it emerged she suffered panic attacks, depression, sleepless nights and loss of libido after six years working for Mr Gregory.

Joy Pugh: £90,000 compensation for bullying

Regional secretary for Unison - at the forefront of a campaign to stamp out workplace bullying - he was cleared of any a wrong-doing by an inquiry at the union's London headquarters earlier this week.

But some of his own branch officials are expected to withdraw their co-operation by walking out of a high-level meeting next week in Llandudno in north Wales.

The action could be the start of wider moves which would bring the union's activities in Wales to a halt.

It is understood that Mr Gregory claims he is the target of a personal vendetta by some of the union's officials who do not represent the views of most of the union's 104,000 members.

Mrs Pugh worked at the Unison offices

Ms Pugh brought a claim for harassment against Mr Gregory and also made claims against the union's senior administrator Beverley Cole.

Earlier this month Phil Jones, Unison's branch officer in Merthyr Tydfil, urged Mr Gregory to step down, saying Mrs Pugh's case totally undermined the union's campaign.

He claimed grass roots members wanted both Mr Gregory and Ms Cole - both exonerated following an internal inquiry - to go.

He said the union had "tried to sweep the whole affair under the carpet".

At the county court hearing, Mrs Pugh, who worked at the union's Swansea office for six years, said that her self-confidence had been destroyed and she had decided to change careers to become a self-employed aromatherapist.

An industrial tribunal, which had been delayed until after the county court case, is now expected to go ahead.