THE GMB union has rejected allegations that its general secretary Gary Smith threatened a union official after she reported sexual harassment.

But the complainant says the union’s investigation into the matter is “marking its own homework” and is calling for Karon Monaghan KC, who wrote a 2020 report on sexual harassment in the GMB, to be brought back to investigate.

The allegations surfaced in a video shared online, which includes recordings of Mr Smith telling the complainant “once you get into a fight with a big organisation, we’re going to come out swinging and we’ll have better lawyers than you, and they’ll be more expensive.”

This prompted Labour MSP Monica Lennon, a GMB member, to tweet that “nothing short of a full independent investigation into GMB’s leadership and processes will do.”

GMB told the Morning Star that the comments had been taken out of context, and that the woman at the centre of the allegations had since been dismissed for sexual harassment of a junior colleague.

“This was a discussion held at a hotel meeting room regularly used by the union and intended to pave the employee’s way back to work after a complex and lengthy internal inquiry into her personal relationships and professional conduct,” it said. “That involved a number of claims and counter claims … comments made at the meeting should be seen in that context, and the employee would later write to the general secretary thanking him for the union’s support.

“She has now been dismissed after a rigorous, fair and transparent disciplinary procedure. That decision by a three-strong, all-female disciplinary panel was upheld on appeal by a panel led by an external, independent KC.”

The complainant says the charges on which she was dismissed were “trumped up” and the colleague she was accused of sexually harassing was a man 20 years older than her.

She also says when she was suspended she was phoned and asked to name her price for leaving the organisation.

“GMB can’t be trusted to police themselves by selecting who investigates their wrongdoing,” she said.

GMB said it has asked another KC to “investigate the events preceding the employee’s dismissal to ensure the union has acted properly.”