Union 'bully' conduct inquiry

Derek Gregory says he is the victim of a vendetta

A full-scale inquiry is to begin into events surrounding a court case which ruled that Unison's Welsh leader had bullied his former secretary.

The case - which involves regional secretary Derek Gregory and his ex-assistant Joy Pugh - has caused widespread unrest among branch officials who have threatened to withdraw co-operation.

Joy Pugh said she was bullied for six years

Mrs Pugh, 48, was awarded £90,000 in damages by Swansea County Court earlier this month, after claiming bullying and harassment for six years caused her to suffer panic attacks, depression, sleepless nights and loss of libido.

Now, after a inquiry at the union's London headquarter this week which cleared Mr Gregory of any wrong-doing, Unison has announced a full management investigation will be headed by two senior officials and aided by an external independent adviser.

In a statement on Friday, the union said the inquiry would look closely at events leading up to the damages award and "into any wider problems of management within the region which need to be addressed".

It (the investigation) will not duck tackling difficult issues, nor is it an easy option intended to brush the issues under the carpet

Unison statement

"It will not duck tackling difficult issues, nor is it an easy option intended to brush the issues under the carpet," it read.

"The general secretary says he has taken these steps to bring the matter to a conclusion as speedily and thoroughly as possible."

Officials have also been instructed not to make any comment to journalists "in order to allow the investigation to proceed without interference".

The probe - which should be completed in the new year - was instigated as pressure mounted on Mr Gregory to step down.

Indeed, there had been threats that his own branch officials would publicly withdraw support by walking out of a high-level meeting next week in Llandudno in north Wales.

Unison spearheads an anti-workplace bullying campaign

It is feared that such action could be the start of wider moves which would bring the union's activities in Wales to a halt.

But Mr Gregory has said 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.

Meanwhile, Unison's Cardiff county branch has said members are "extremely concerned" about the adverse press and television coverage about the case and ensuing disquiet.

The branch will now look for support in order to call upon the national union to take "immediate unequivocal and unambiguous action to restore the credibility and standing of Unison in Wales".