Domestic violence allegations against senior RMT official

A number of reports have appeared in which a woman RMT activist has made allegations against Steve Hedley, Assistant General Secretary of the RMT Union.

The Independent writes that:

Caroline Leneghan, a full time activist with the RMT, one of the UK’s most militant unions, claims she was beaten up by her then boyfriend and the current assistant general secretary Steve Hedley last year in an attack which allegedly left her with multiple facial bruisings. 

She claims she went to union bosses with the allegations in January expecting them to be investigated. But instead of being treated as a potential victim, she says RMT investigators blamed her for the attack – even suggesting her wounds were self-inflicted.

Caroline Leneghan has been very brave in speaking out in full on her own blog which contains photographs of the injuries she alleges were inflicted on her.

Go to: http://carolineleneghan.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/3/

Given the recent controversy that has broken out over the handling of rape allegations in the Socialist Workers Party it is vital that the RMT, one of the countries leading trade unions does not make the same kind of mistakes.

The Independent does report that:

An RMT spokesman said: “RMT takes all allegations of bullying, abuse, domestic violence and harassment seriously and a full investigation is currently underway,”

It must be made clear that Steve Hedley has not had any charges brought against him and he strenuously denies the allegations.

What is important is that the RMT must abide by its' own policy statement on domestic violence which was published today, on International Women's Day:

Go to: http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=171756&int1stParentNodeID=89732

The trade union movement has a duty to ensure that its' own house is in order if the unions are to begin tackling the very real issue of domestic violence.