Siptu member tells WRC that union was facing a 'MeToo' moment over alleged wrongdoing

The woman's case centres on her belief that she was victimised by management for raising allegations of wrongdoing under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.

A senior member of Siptu has told the Work Relations Commission she believes the union was facing a “MeToo” moment, over “premier league levels” of bullying, harassment and penalisation of members.

Ger Malone, who has worked with Siptu for more than 30 years, was speaking on the opening day of her case at the WRC in Waterford Courthouse.

She has made 17 protected disclosures of alleged wrongdoing at Siptu.

The former chair of the union's internal council has also made 29 complaints of penalisation which she lodged in November 2020 — ten of those have been deemed time barred.

Ms Malone has requested an extension of time to consider other matters earlier than six months before she lodged her complaints.

Her case centres on her belief that she was victimised by management for raising allegations of wrongdoing under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.

Her concerns include how several staff confided in her that they felt suicidal over the treatment to which they were being subjected.

Siptu acknowledges three out of the 17 communications made by Ms Malone are protected disclosures but denies the allegations made in them.

During Wednesday's hearing, Ms Malone gave evidence on several of her protected disclosures and said: “I was looking down the barrel of a gun as soon as I made a complaint against management”.

One allegation of wrongdoing includes there was an “eyes and ears” management strategy within Siptu.

Submission

In her submission, Ms Malone said on February 28, 2020, she attended a meeting to represent a colleague who had made a protected disclosure, after being informed their employment was being terminated by way of the “fixed term contract” expiring.

Ms Malone said the disclosure was “serious and significant” in that it highlighted alleged wrongdoings relating to a senior member of management who had targeted and befriended the discloser and had offered them a job as their “eyes and ears”.

The termination, however, was reversed and the colleague was transferred to another department after the issues were raised, she claimed.

In another disclosure, Ms Malone claimed at a meeting on August 28, 2020, with officers it was evident that the modus operandi of the management was “control cronyism and bullying”.

She claimed the practices applied by management were inconsistent with Siptu’s ethos, values and principles and said “some staff were struggling with their mental health, some were burnt out”.

She said she disclosed that “activists and members were angry, and many had no trust in the union and that they were on the verge of a me-too moment".

“Practices employed by management were inconsistent”, she said, and further claimed that “the treatment of staff; particularly female staff was disgraceful".

“It was like working in Beirut,” she said. “My main issue was trying to get some support from the hierarchy of Siptu”.

During the hearing before adjudicator Marie Flynn, there were several heated exchanges between Ms Malone who is representing herself and Divisional Organiser for Siptu Karen O’Loughlin.

The hearing continues on Thursday.