TSSA union activists have slammed general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust and her cronies for blatant hypocrisy over Labour’s decision to block Andy Burnham’s parliamentary candidacy.

As Skwawkbox predicted, Labour’s executive (NEC) pulled dirty tricks to prevent the Greater Manchester mayor standing for election as MP. Burnham had indicated he would stand for selection for the by-election to replace retiring Labour MP Andrew Gwynne. Starmer loyalists – and those who want to replace him when he falls – will never allow the popular Burnham into a position to outshine and beat them.

The TSSA’s social media accounts then expressed the union’s ‘concern’ at the NEC’s ‘factional’ move:

But as former TSSA assistant general secretary Steve Coe pointed out, Eslamdoust and her hangers-on have waged exactly the same factional war, using similar but even worse tactics, to block rivals for factional reasons. Coe simply posted the same wording on his Facebook page, replacing Burnham’s name with just one of the TSSA victims – and “Labour” with “TSSA”:

Statement on TSSA elections

TSSA members are concerned that Paul Mangan has been blocked from standing as the union’s Treasurer for factional reasons.

Paul Mangan has the experience and personality to serve effectively as TSSA Treasurer, yet members have been denied the opportunity to vote for him by the Executive Committee.

This is a critical moment for the future of our union. TSSA has lost its way and must change its path to survive. The need to change course immediately is clear.

TSSA hypocrisy

However, as Skwawkbox can exclusively reveal, the TSSA management’s hypocrisy goes even deeper. TSSA has a union seat on Labour’s NEC. And according to well-placed insiders, when the NEC voted – the TSSA’s NEC representative did not oppose the vote to block Burnham.

Since taking over TSSA despite an absence of relevant experience, Eslamdoust – despised by union staff and reps – and her team have:

• Been repeatedly accused by union staff, who have been in dispute with their employer for more than a year, of bullying and using anti-union tactics against them — and of crossing their picket line during strike action.
• Been accused of paying off disgraced former managers of the union she claimed she was going to sort out after years of sexual harassment and mismanagement under her predecessor Manuel Cortes.
• Suspended senior union figures not in Eslamdoust’s camp just after they won key elections or awards from the union.
• Lost a unanimous vote of no confidence among TSSA staff and another unanimous vote by one of TSSA’s biggest member branches.
• Tried to bypass TSSA staff in their dispute by going straight to the GMB union that represents them at work.
• Attacked the GMB in the national press – and attacked striking staff in an email to members.
• ‘Summarily derecognised’ the TSSA’s women’s group, which accused Eslamdoust and her allies of perpetuating the abuse and harassment that characterised the regime of her predecessor Manuel Cortes.
• Barred delegates and members from last year’s TSSA annual conference and blocked a no-confidence motion brought against her.
• Attacked delegates at the 2025 conference as ‘parochial’ for wanting to raise these issues.

Not finished yet…

She then responded to further industrial action last autumn with an administrative attack that:

• Denied staff their usual self-certified sickness absences, new requests for annual leave or TOIL (time off in lieu).
• Deducted pay the month after any day on which strike action was taken.
• Forced staff to come into the office who would usually work remotely.
• Forced staff to ‘clock in’ by filling in timesheets that were not usually required and listing their activities.

Union insiders pointed out that these imposed terms violated union law by:

• Victimising staff for undertaking a union action.
• Breaching the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act, which says that employers must still pay sick pay to employees off sick during a strike — they can investigate if they suspect the sick leave was not genuine but cannot arbitrarily withhold.
• Adding unreasonable extra work for staff even without ‘ASOS’ (action short of a strike) by demanding work logs.
• Varying custom and practice in the workplace.

Union staff and members are now demanding her suspension, investigation and, ultimately, removal.

TSSA’s press office has not responded to a Skwawkbox media enquiry since 2024.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

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