The last General Secretary election in UNISON (in 2015) witnessed a slightly confusing episode in which the Returning Officer issued "guidance" clarifying that nominating bodies were entitled to explain the reason for their nomination decisions. This position has now been firmed up on paragraph 51a of the General Secretary election procedure agreed by the National Executive Council (NEC) for this election, which provides for an exemption to the normal rule that UNISON resources may not be used to campaign for any particular candidate as follows;
"If a nominating body wants to tell their members about the nomination(s) through usual methods of communication (for example, branch newsletters, websites and social media resources). A 100 word statement per candidate may be produced. It should only explain why the nominating body has nominated the candidate, it should not take the form of asking members to vote for the candidate, nor should it include reference to any other nominations from other nominating bodies. It should only appear in the nominating body's usual methods of communication. A photograph of the candidate who has been nominated may be included. No links to social media may be included in these communications."
I have added emphasis because today I realised that one of our branches had not only publicised their own branch nomination to their members on their Facebook page (as they were quite entitled to do), but – in separate posts – had also publicised the decisions of the National Executive Council and of the East Midlands Regional Council.
The first post fell within the exemption of paragraph 51a, but the other two posts do not, and breach the election procedure. Complaints about precisely this breach of procedure (branches publicising the nominating decisions of other nominating bodies) were upheld by the Returning Officer in their report into the last General Secretary election ("use of UNISON resources (branch website) to advise members about nominations by other nominating bodies. Three complaints received. All complaints deemed valid") – and errant branches were written to by the Chair of the Development and Organisation Committee of the NEC to advise them accordingly.
I wouldn't normally post on this blog about such a breach by an individual branch. I would just raise it with the Returning Officer in the hope that a quiet word with the branch would put things right. However, I noticed something disturbing about the post made on 3 September, publicising (inappropriately) the Regional Council decision. This post appears to have been "liked" by six people, including – if Facebook is to be believed - two past Presidents of the Union (one of whom is also the Chair of the Development and Organisation Committee who wrote to branches which breached the similar provisions of the 2015 General Secretary election procedure to advise them not to do so again).
It's one thing for the occasional branch to trip up and inadvertently breach a procedure – a trade union is, after all, a voluntary organisation of activists and anyone can make a mistake. However, members of the National Executive Council which agreed the election procedures in the first place ought not to be "liking" breaches of the procedure (which they themselves agreed), they ought to be quietly correcting any branch that has made a mistake!
I may of course be wrong about this. The NEC members who "liked" the post on Facebook may have had their accounts hacked or something – but if not then I think they need to be more thoughtful in future! UNISON members - and NEC members in particular - should be vigilant to ensure that the procedures which have been agreed through our democratic structures are complied with.
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