ALTHOUGH Roger "currant bun" Lyons,

joint general-secretary ofAmicus, was quick to

declare the defeat of his erstwhile colleague

Ken "two jobs" Jackson by leftie Derek

Simpson as "fucking brilliant" (Eye 1059), his

own future looks increasingly precarious. The

trade union certification officer for Northern

Ireland has found him guilty of breaking his

own union rules on three counts.

This latest run-in with the rule book began in

April 1998 when, as general-secretary of the MSF

union, he received a letter from Mr R. McNulty,

chairman of Shorts Brothers, Belfast, telling him

that Shorts was "no longer prepared to work with

the present MSF (staff) interface" [sic].

This "interface" was actually Frank Cammock

and Kevin Doherty, hard-working MSF shop

stewards who were too active for management's

liking. Instead of telling McNulty to get lost,

Lyons wrote to MSF members at Shorts telling

them he had "clear evidence that a politically

motivated campaign was underway among MSF

members exhorting them to leave the union". The

implication was that Cammock and Doherty were

part of a plot to encourage MSF members to join

the rival TGWU.

Cammock and Doherty were summoned by

senior MSF officials who told them Lyons had

given his authorisation for their immediate

suspension "from all union offices that you hold,

including those as workplace representative". MSF

rules do not give Lyons any authority to suspend,

nor do they allow him to authorise another officer

to suspend.

In December 1999 the problems at Shorts were

raised at the MSF's national executive committee,

which approved the suspensions of Cammock and

Doherty retrospectively, even though union rules

only give the NRC power to suspend over

misappropriation of union funds or dissemination

of racist propaganda.

Cammock and Doherty were not told the

allegations against them nor shown any evidence.

Both denied having anything to do with

encouraging MSF members to leave the union. In

January 2000 they appealed against their

suspensions. More than two years later they are

still waiting for a hearing - even though union

rules say appeals must be heard within two

months. The men complained to the certification

officer - an ombudsman for trade unions - who

has pulled no punches condemning Lyons and his

cronies.

The watchdog found Lyons had broken his

own union rules on three counts, while the NEC,

whose job Is to ensure rules are observed,

breached them on four counts. The MSF was

ordered to reinstate Cammock and Doherty to their

union posts immediately. Sadly, Shorts made both

men redundant earlier this year.

Read the full Certification Officer Report

Back to www.msfweb.org.uk