Sharon Graham must answer corruption accusations. If proven she must resign.

Sharon Graham is coming under intense pressure from members to answer the serious accusations made by a whistleblower about ‘phoney jobs’,  ‘bribery’ and ‘election rigging’ reported in The Observer (28 September). Reunite is calling for a fully independent investigation. If Sharon Graham is found to be responsible for illegal activity she must resign.

The Observer reports:

“In the early summer of 2023, a baggage ­handler at Heathrow airport received a welcome job offer: a well-paid role with Unite, one of Britain’s most ­powerful unions. The job had one particular perk: he could also keep his existing full-time job as ground staff for a major airline.”

The report goes on to quote a complaint sent by the whistleblower in August:

 “[This person] told me that he had been offered a job in return for his withdrawal from the [executive council] election in 2023.

“[This person] may not have actually carried out any work for Unite and may be an employee for payroll purposes only, in effect a “ghost employee”.

If this allegation is true and money for a phoney job was offered as an incentive to withdraw from the Executive Council election then it must investigated for bribery and election rigging.

Reunite is demanding an immediate independent inquiry. Members at Heathrow and across our union have a right to know the truth.

An investigation must establish:

·        Details of the job offer.

·        Contract of employment.

·        Copies of the payroll.

·        When payments ceased.

·        Proof of any work carried out.

Reunite applauds the bravery of the whistleblower for coming forward. Our union has always sought to support and protect workers who are brave enough to come forward. This must be no exception. 

An independent investigation must establish if ‘bribery’ and ‘election rigging’ took place and if it is proven that Sharon Graham is responsible, then she must resign.

These latest allegations follow a ruling that the Executive Council had been blocked from viewing the union’s own finances.  This followed accusations of a ‘toxic bullying culture’ in the department led by Sharon Graham’s husband, Jack Clarke, which led to a strike by Unite staff in November. In August the union’s Regional Secretary in Scotland was suspended following accusations of “inappropriate behaviour towards women.” His appointment to the post was made by Sharon Graham in opposition to Executive Council members in Scotland.

For years Sharon Graham has made much theatrics and publicity over the inquiry into the Birmingham Hotel. Reunite warned then that any accusations of wrongdoing must be proven and dealt with responsibly. Trump-style theatrics only serve to bring our union into disrepute.

If nothing else, Sharon Graham is clearly guilty of rank hypocrisy as accusations about her own behaviour and decisions continue to mount.

There can be no place for corruption in our union.

The very least members deserve is to know we are responsible with their money, but the standards we set for ourselves should be so much higher than that.

We must reunite and demand the truth.

We must reunite and draw a hard line under years of allegations which have dragged our union through the dirt.