RAIL workers at Paddington depot are expected to begin balloting for industrial action against the alleged victimisation of a union member following a disciplinary hearing today.

All guards and drivers will be balloting for strike action and action short of a strike in support of Ben Frederick, a guard and RMT activist, if he is not reinstated.

Mr Frederick, a highly regarded union activist and health and safety officer, was suspended after he says he was assaulted on the job in August.

He reported the alleged attack and racial abuse by a passenger to his employers, Great Western Railway (GWR), and the British Transport Police (BTP).

Mr Frederick was told the BTP would approach him for a formal statement, but they never got in touch with him.

He was then suspended from work in September after his bosses launched a new investigation into him assaulting a member of the public – even though no complaint has been received from the alleged victim.

CCTV footage shown by an investigating manager to Mr Frederick clearly shows the member of the public carrying out an assault by spitting at him and hitting him with a mobile phone, rail union RMT said.

He was also verbally abused by the same person using racist insults.

Mr Frederick has now been suspended for over a month, which the union says is a breach of a workplace agreement that investigatory suspensions of workers should not carry on for longer than 28 days.

The union also claims that GWR is letting workers down on the job and is gearing up to strike in defence of Mr Frederick.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “Ben Frederick is a victim of a vexatious and false allegation, which has been cooked up by managers with a grudge against an active trade unionist.

“GWR is failing to protect our members who are on the front line of dealing with members of the public, pays lip service to its duty of care for staff assaulted at work and fails to adhere to its own Violence at Work policy.

“GWR must withdraw the charges against Ben Frederick and reinstate him immediately or we will be balloting our guards and drivers at Paddington depot for strike action and action short of a strike.”

Mr Frederick’s disciplinary hearing was still taking place as the Star went to press.

A GWR spokesman said: “GWR has a robust and fair disciplinary process, endorsed by all our trades unions, that will come to an evidence-based decision on any allegations made about a member of staff.
 
“It is right that we follow this process carefully, which includes the right to an appeal, to its conclusion.”

BTP could not be reached for comment.