THE founder of the Stephen Lawrence Trust will be the main speaker at a GMB union public meeting tonight.

The GMB represents a group of workers in the housekeeping department employed by Carillion at the Great Western Hospital.

Its members there have already carried out 18 days of strike action over claims of bullying, harassment and discrimination and today they held their 19th day while Carillion continues to investigate the claims.

In its latest statement, the union claims a letter sent to individual members of staff by Carillion stated the firm had uncovered evidence of bribery and shakedowns among staff at GWH.

Doreen Lawrence will speak in support of the workers at the rally, while the GMB calls for Carillion to agree to proper representation for its members to enable issues to be tackled at source.

Mrs Lawrence’s son, Stephen, was stabbed to death in a racial attack in London in 1993.

Other speakers at the meeting will include chair of the Commons Home Affairs Committee Keith Vaz MP, blacklisted Carillion worker Dave Smith, former South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove, and GMB branch secretary Andy Newman.

Kamaljeet Jandu, GMB national officer for equality and inclusion, said: “GMB members in Swindon are delighted with the support of Doreen Lawrence, who has led the campaign to end an horrendous cover-up and the blight of institutional discrimination and racism affecting members of ethnic minority communities.

“I am profoundly disappointed that Carillion has completely failed to deal with what has been 18 months of covering up of evidence of bribery and shakedowns by managers of these employees.

“Carillion is a contractor working for the public, who have every right to insist they deal with a clear case of corruption, institutional bullying and discrimination. That they have yet to do so shows how deep seated the culture of abusing its own staff is ingrained in Carillion, which was found guilty in court of blacklisting its own workers.”

The meeting takes place at the Pilgrim Centre at 7pm.