PRESS RELEASE 20th May 2021 from Unite - Faith Workers Branch
Len McClusky’s Unite Union Officers accused of racial and religious discrimination against BAME Faith Workers.
Asian Hindu, Afro-Caribbean Christian and Arab Muslim ethnic minority religious leaders and academics are taking legal action against Unite the Union, the UK's biggest trades union for serious racial and religious discrimination, harassment and bullying.
Pandit Satish K Sharma, Hindu Chaplain and Scholar, Revd Dr David Isiorho, Senior Fellow of the Anglican Foundation and Sheikh Dr Muhammad Al-Hussaini, Senior Fellow in Islamic Studies at the Westminster Institute have commenced legal proceedings against Len McCluskey's trades union, alleging racism and discrimination in its national branch for clergy and religious ministers, the "Unite Faith Workers' Branch". All three are Members of the Executive Committee of this Unite clergy union.
The allegations including severe racial and religious harassment and bullying, led to the resignation in protest of the Anglican Chair of the Unite Faith Workers' Branch, Canon Stephen Trott, due to what he called a "vendetta" against one black non-Christian Officer, followed later by the resignation of black Christian Officer, Revd Isiorho, due to the same allegations of discrimination and victimisation.
Pandit Satish K Sharma alleged gross racial and religious discrimination when he attempted to give the Hindu and Muslim community the same standing as Church of England and other Christian groups within the Unite clergy union, with repeated blocking by the all-white and all-Christian leadership, of the equal recognition of Hindu and Muslim groups on the same basis as white Christian groups. Pandit Sharma himself was the primary focus of an aggressive campaign of hate speech and obstruction from being appointed on the Executive Committee, by these same white Anglicans.
Pandit Sharma, Sheikh Al-Hussaini and Revd Isiorho have previously raised concerns about anti-semitism within Unite which led to the resignation of several Jewish rabbis from the Unite Faith Workers' Branch.
Unite the Union has been plagued with prominent legal cases of antisemitism, racial and sexual harassment which it has lost, with compension and legal costs running into the millions. Another former Anglican Chair of the Unite Faith Workers' Branch was sacked from his job and suspended by the Labour Party for sexual harassment.
Three black, Asian and ethnic minority clergy have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to fight institutionalised racial and religious discrimination in Unite the Union.
Enquiries to :-
Pt Satish K Sharma,
0208 123 8272
Further background information at https://www.unitefaithworkers.com/
Crowdjustice link : -
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/action-against-unite-the-union/