Running time: 5 mins 37 secs
TSSA members gathered outside their union’s Head Office in London on Tuesday 24 March while the TSSA Executive Committee was meeting inside.
Organised by TSSA Network Rail London South branch, the protest demanded the restoration of democracy in the union.
There has been widespread frustration, dismay and anger amongst members right across the TSSA at what they describe as persistent, sustained and corrupt undermining of the union’s democratic processes by the TSSA leadership and the majority of the Executive Committee.
Many members believe that they have been bypassing and ignoring of TSSA’s Rules, procedures, precedents, and policies as determined by Annual Conference, undermining and manipulating TSSA Annual Conferences (TSSA’s supreme authority), and manipulating elections for the Executive Committee in order to prevent the holding to account of the General Secretary, a vital part of the democratic process.
This includes:
• Preventing motions and amendments correctly and properly submitted by union branches from appearing on conference agendas;
• Preventing appeals against Executive Committee decisions from being heard at Annual Conferences;
• Changing branch structures and closing branches in breach of the Rules;
• Discrimination against retired and older union members;
• Preventing certain members from being candidates for election for the Executive Committee and other key positions;
• Suspension and disciplining of many activists, representatives, and candidates;
• Refusing to declare the results of a completed election for both President and Treasurer;
• Provoking a dispute with GMB (the union that represents paid staff) that has continued without resolution for over two years.
TSSA paid front line staff numbers have also been significantly reduced which has resulted in members and reps not being adequately supported in their workplaces.
Protesters argue that TSSA for these and many other reasons is no longer being run in the interests of its members, and they are committed to continuing peaceful action until accountability is restored and the alleged corruption is addressed.
