IN THE RED CORNER . . . RMT’S CHIEF BRAWLS WITH PICKETER
IN AN undignified scene, the RMT’s president sits on a former colleague following a brawl outside the union’s HQ.
These images show Alex Gordon grappling with ex-RMT member Mark Harding, who has been protesting for months with former colleague Petrit Mihaj at Unity House in central London.
Footage filmed by Mr Mihaj on Wednesday shows Mr Gordon kicking a placard before trying to take it. Mr Harding, a London Tube driver, and Mr Mihaj grab him and a scuffle ensues.
The union chief ends up on top of Mr Harding while telling RMT officials to seize the placard, saying: ‘Take that in! Now give me a hand.’
Police spoke to both men but made no arrests.
Mr Harding, 59, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘For a trade union leader to do that is appalling. There was no provocation on our part. It was very upsetting.
‘I didn’t expect that on my own trade union’s premises, even though I am not a member any
more. I haven’t seen anything like this since the miners’ strike.’
The MoS revealed last month that the RMT was gripped by a bitter internal row caused by the dismissal of Mr Mihaj, a former RMT education officer. Mr Harding said he was expelled after supporting him.
They have urged the union’s bosses not to cross a picket line, but the union says it is not official. Scuffles broke out this
month when union officials tried to remove their posters.
Mr Gordon, 55, a Marxist who was elected president in December, has backed pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine and is a Communist Party official.
The RMT said: ‘There has been a systematic campaign of harassment against RMT staff by a small group of protesters who film and abuse people as they go into work each day.’