Working Men's Clubs in rift with CIU over bid to axe president (From The Northern Echo)

County Durham Working Men's Clubs in rift with CIU over bid to axe president Mick McGlasham

7:40am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News Exclusive By Duncan Leatherdale

WORKING Men’s Clubs in County Durham have come out in support of their president after the national union attempted to axe him from the position.

Clubs in the county received a short letter from the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Club and Union Institute (CIU) last week telling them Mick McGlasham had been removed from the Durham Branch Executive’s presidency with immediate effect.

But at an emergency meeting of the Durham Branch Executive on Monday night (March 18), members said they were unanimous in their support for Mr McGlasham - who they had elected to the position - and did not accept the NEC's decision.

The Durham Branch Executive said it had not even been informed by the NEC of their decision to sack Mr McGlasham - only hearing about the letter from individual members.

The problems began more than two years ago when Mr McGlasham moved to London after being appointed general secretary of the CIU.

He and a colleague were dismissed in 2011 after being accused of misusing the union’s credit cards, although an internal inquiry found no evidence against them and an independent barrister advised the union to re-instate them.

Mr McGlasham from Peterlee reached an out court agreement with the CIU after taking his case of unfair dismissal to a tribunal.

In June last year he was elected president of the Durham Branch of the CIU, who are at loggerheads with the NCE over the treatment of Mr McGlasham.

A statement issued by the Durham Executive said: “The general feeling in the Durham area is that there is a personal vendetta against Mr McGlasham and it should stop, not only for his benefit but for the union in general.

“Mr McGlasham in no longer an employee of the union, he has been duly elected by the Durham members as their president and should be allowed to get on with representing his members.”

Durham members also said they had been told to “sit down and shut up” after attempting to raise the issues at national meetings of the CIU over the past few years.

Mr McGlasham said he wants to move on for the benefit of his members.

The CIU were yesterday unable to provide a comment .

More Peterlee News

• Four arrested in dawn raids to counter organised crime
• Four arrested in dawn raids in Easington and Thirsk in crackdown on organised crime
• Residents in east Durham invited step out to improve their communities
• Couple recover from shock of cancer by being put through their paces
• Overseas visits to North-East and North Yorkshire fell last year
• Vandals cause thousands of pounds of damages to Jubilee Wood
• Mosaic celebrating history of former pit villages is officially unveiled
• Man escapes injury after shed next to house is set alight in suspected arson attack

Comments are closed on this article.