In the United Kingdom, the GMB trade union is facing accusations of bullying from Maryam Eslamdoust, the general secretary of the smaller TSSA transport union, amid ongoing industrial disputes between the two organizations. Eslamdoust alleges that GMB officials attempted to undermine her leadership in ways that negatively affected her health and suggests the treatment may reflect gender bias. GMB denies the claims, arguing it has intervened to protect TSSA staff after internal surveys reportedly showed high levels of stress and poor workplace morale. The dispute highlights broader concerns within the UK labor movement about internal union governance, power imbalances between unions, and workplace culture within worker-representative institutions themselves.
See "GMB union faces claims of bullying in industrial disputes from rival union leader", Rowena Mason, The Guardian, January 21, 2026