Union and councillors in row over leafleting

UNION officials are to file official complaints after claims they have been harassed by two councillors.

The Hull branch of Unison said the officials were verbally abused when they were out leafleting on north Bransholme at the weekend over the controversial transfer of houses to a new social landlord.

The union, which is fighting the transfer, alleges Unison and Unite officials were “verbally abused, challenged as to their right to leaflet on the estate and threatened with legal action” by the two councillors, Anita Harrison and Nadine Burton and members of a local group when their paths crossed on Saturday.

They also claim they were followed on foot and in cars, eventually having to abandon the leafleting. They are now complaining to Hull Council’s Standards Committee.

Mike Adamson, Hull City Unison branch secretary said the councillors’ actions were “a deliberate attempt to stifle legitimate and open debate”, adding: “It is unacceptable and we will not have it.”

However Councillor Harrison said the claims were nonsense and they themselves had been verbally abused when they came across the officials when she and the others went to her house to pick up leaflets for her election campaign.

She said: “They live in a dream world. It’s nonsense we abused them, all we asked them was what they were leafleting for.

“If Unison is such a strong union it should be fighting side by side with me and Councillor Burton so the people of North Bransholme have a better quality of life than Hull Council can afford.”

Coun Burton said: “If anyone should make a complaint it’s me and Anita because of the personal abuse they hurled at us outside our own homes. I just think it’s nonsense.”

More than 1,175 people on the estate will vote next month over the transfer to the Riverside Housing Association.

Last month the Yorkshire Post revealed that Hull Council will give 5.5m to Riverside from housing revenue account reserves to subsidise the move.