A trade union representing striking workers has criticised a Labour frontbencher after they apparently crossed a picket line while on party business.
Bill Esterson visited Sheffield University’s advanced manufacturing research centre on Friday while staff at the university were on strike.
After Mr Esterson posted publicity photographs of himself inside the centre online Jo Grady, general secretary of the University of Colleges Union (UCU) said: “There’s a picket line at Sheffield University.
“It’s hard enough for our members to see management cross the picket lines let alone Labour MPs. You know better than this, surely? Let’s hope this is a misunderstanding.”
Mr Esterton, the party’s shadow business minister, said he did not see a physical picket at the research centre and that if he had he would not have gone in.
But Ms Grady said the dispute was “high profile” enough that the Labour politician should have known to stay away.
“A lot of physical picket lines were stood down yesterday because of danger posed by storm Eunice, Bill. But the high profile dispute remains,” she said.
“We have five more days strike action over the next fortnight. Do let UCU know what day you could make it to show your support.”
The AMRC visited by the shadow minister is located in a business park to the east of Sheffield and not on the main university campus to the west of the centre.
Mr Esterton said: “There wasn’t a picket line. Otherwise I wouldn’t have gone in.” Labour declined to add further comment about the incident
The incident is the second dispute over Labour politicians apparently crossing a picket in Sheffield in the last few months.
Late in 2021 Sheffield City council Leader Terry Fox and some Labour councillors walked past a picket and into a building – before emerging and saying they had decided not to cross the picket to attend a council meeting there in solidarity with workers.
However those on strike outside pointed out that the councillors had already crossed their picket on the way in.
Academic staff at universities across the UK represented by UCU are on strike over planned cuts to pension payments under their defined benefit Universities Superannuation Scheme, known as the USS.
