THE divisions between the Labour Party and trade union movement over the case of anti-Semitic allegations made against Labour activist and GMB union shop steward Pete Gregson are bound to widen, after The National reveals today that Gregson’s union has reported him to his employer.
The union is to tell NHS Lothian that Gregson is suspended from “holding any post within GMB or participating in any GMB activities,” which leaves GMB members in NHS Lothian without representation as Gregson is the only GMB shop steward in his area of the NHS.
The letter to Gregson from GMB Scotland secretary Gary Smith says Gregson posted material on The National website attacking an employee of the union, which Smith says is “disgraceful and not acceptable”, adding that Gregson is facing a disciplinary hearing.
We reported last week that the Labour Against the Witch-hunt (LAW) group within the party had taken up Gregson’s case, which is based on his opposition to the adoption by Labour and GMB of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s definition of anti-Semitism.
Gregson says that the IHRA definition prevents criticism of Israel for what he calls “racist” laws.
The National has seen a copy of the GMB letter outlining the case against Gregson. It states that: “The allegation is that you posted or distributed materials on social media that are of an anti-Semitic nature.
“The posting of such material would run contrary to the aims and very ethos of our union.
“Posting or distributing materials that is anti-Semitic in nature would also be in breach of rule 5.4 in the rule book. The allegations against you are that in material published online and by way of open letters you have deemed Jews to be collectably responsible for the actions of the state of Israel.”
Quoting from an open letter sent by Gregson, the GMB alleges he said: “I appreciate that the Labour Party felt the Jews to be an oppressed minority back in the mists of time when Zionism was deemed a cause worth of support.
“But the actions of a state founded on the ethnic cleansing of 700,000 Arabs out of Palestine into the makeshift bomb-riddled townships they occupy today today, denied access to energy, medicine, the rights to trade has well and truly taken any kind of moral cause out of the Zionist creed.”
The GMB added: “You have also initiated supported or she had an online petition including the state of Israel to be a racist endeavour.”
Gregson is unable to comment, as he fears he will be challenged for bringing the union into disrepute by defending himself and voicing criticism to a newspaper.
His friends have told The National he will be fighting the case on freedom of speech grounds because he is not anti-Semitic, but anti-Zionist, and admits to criticising Israel on grounds of its “racist” laws.
The GMB and Labour say they will not comment in the course of the proceedings against him.
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