[A-List] UK trade union militancy and state reprisals

["Keaney Michael" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

Paper stalking me, says boss of rail union

Kevin Maguire
Wednesday October 2, 2002
The Guardian

The leader of Britain's main rail union is threatening legal action
against London's evening newspaper, accusing it of stalking him as part
of a campaign of personal attacks that last night saw him likened to
Arthur Scargill.

Lawyers representing Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime
and Transport union, wrote to the editor of the Evening Standard, part
of the Daily Mail group, warning that he would seek a high court
injunction and damages unless it ceased the "unlawful harassment".

Mr Crow, who has received death threats and needed stitches to his head
after he was attacked in his home by two men wielding an iron bar in
January, claims that the newspaper has breached article eight of the
Human Rights Act, which gives him the right to privacy and to family
life.

"We are in no doubt that on application to the high court an injunction
will be granted restraining such unlawful behaviour, and damages will be
awarded against your newspaper," the legal letter said.

The Standard, which has become more aggressive in its reporting since
Daily Mail executive Veronica Wadley replaced Max Hastings as editor,
singled Mr Crow out last night ahead of a pay strike which is expected
to halt London Underground today.

In a piece labelled The Crow Files, the Standard said: "It is no
coincidence that the bull-necked, bullhorn-voiced Mr Crow is an ardent
supporter of Millwall football club, whose thuggish fans rejoice in
their unpopularity. 'No one likes us, we don't care,' they sing from the
terraces ... which these days might as well be the slogan of Mr Crow and
the RMT."

The leftwinger acted after a reporter and photographer turned up at his
east London home at 9.10am on Saturday and told him they had been
ordered to follow him all weekend.

A spokeswoman for the Standard denied harassing Mr Crow. She said the
reporter and photographer had been questioned internally.