I need to vent.
I’m following a case where a union member (Sally) has been bullied for some time and decided to put in a grievance. According to company procedure, I as her union rep sent a summary of the events and the aggravating circumstances (i.e. disability) to the head of department and HR. the first thing HR did is forward the whole thing without edits to her line manager AND TO THEIR LINE MANAGER. Including disclosing the disability without even asking. And they defended this action by saying “their line manager must be made aware someone complained”. I can’t fucking believe this crap.
Then they insisted a couple of times to have an informal meeting. We said no thank you. They called one anyway without inviting me. Sally invites me. HR questions it “this is just an informal meeting, why do you need the union present.”
I can’t fuckin believe it. So far there’s been a dozen emails, half a dozen people involved (Sally and I are the lowest ranked) and they haven’t contested any of the things Sally requested. But you can’t have people have a bit of support during an important meeting or. Or what? What do they expect me to do? Flip the table and suplex his line manager? give an inflammatory speech and single-handedly convince everyone at the table?