Jerry Hicks

Kevin Robins, a ‘Unite’ Union Organiser in the Southwest of England has been sacked, after a long period of victimization, after he raised an internal complaint about the level of service offered to Unite members in his region.

He was initially suspended [January 2010] for one year on "made up" allegations, and then kept on "garden leave" for a further 7 months before his dismissal.

My knowledge of Kevin Robbins.
During the election period for General Secretary (2010) in which I was a candidate, Unite members from a Cornish based factory contacted three of the four GS candidates, Les Baylis, Len McCluskey and myself. They wanted to discuss the level of service and the attitude of some regional officials. Regrettably, it was only myself who replied.

These factory workers arranged a meeting which I attended as did a large number of the workers. They gave a damning account of the region's attitude toward them.

However, they heaped praise on one of the Union organizers who had continually stood up for them and who had repeatedly raised concerns on their behalf, that organizer was Kevin Robins.

In my view, if Kevin chooses to go to Industrial Tribunal he will win a claim for unfair dismissal. I call upon Unite to avert that by reinstating Kevin Robins.

Please consider lending your support by sending an email to Len McCluskey len.mccluskey@unitetheunion.org demanding reinstatement and calling for an URGENT Independent investigation into the events that lead to Kevin Robins dismissal.

Yours in solidarity,

Jerry Hicks.