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

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.

Staff have has since suspended work stoppages to allow Carillion to further 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, which Carillion strongly denies.

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, GMB branch secretary Andy Newman and other members of the union who are in dispute with the firm. Kamaljeet Jandu, GMB national officer for equality and inclusion, will chair the meeting.

He 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.

“It is going to require a public campaign to force Carillion to confront the institutional abuse of its own employees and come to terms with the culture existing within its organisation.

“This public meeting with Doreen Lawrence and Keith Vaz MP provides GMB with an opportunity to inform the people of Swindon of the detailed nature of the allegations which Carillion has failed to deal with over some five months and that the union has submitted to employment tribunals.”

Carillion has denied GMB’s bribery claims and said the results of the investigation will be announced next month.

The meeting will be held at the Pilgrim Centre on May 16.