UNISON retired members and the General Secretary election - something not quite right?

My afternoon was enlivened by an email sent me by my trade union, UNISON, this afternoon.

From which I learned the following;

The retired members Conference is being replaced with an online seminar  On Wednesday 14 October, from 11am to 12.30pm –

 

'Care after COVID', will be a webinar for retired members, looking at the impact of the pandemic on the care sector, why we need a new system for social care and the actions that need to be taken for such a service.

The event will be a panel debate with the following speakers:

• Christina McAnea – UNISON assistant general secretary with responsibility for bargaining, negotiating and equalities;
• Gavin Edwards – senior national officer for business, community and environment;
• Guy Collis – policy officer.

 

So far, so laudable (you might think).

 

But. A couple of things trouble me.

 

First, the details of the seminar – to be addressed by Christina McAnea – were posted on the UNISON website on 17 September. On 18 September Christina McAnea's campaign Facebook page reported the "endorsement" of her campaign by the National Retired Members' Committee (with a video message from the Chair) (which specifically refers to Christina having launched the "Care after Covid" campaign which is to be the theme of the webinar).

 

Secondly, the procedure for this year's General Secretary election indicates that ballot papers will go out from 28 October, a fortnight after the webinar being organised by the Retired Members National Committee. No doubt between now and 14 October retired members will receive reminders about this event, and – after 14 October (but before 28 October perhaps?) – we shall receive a report from this event. On each occasion we shall be reminded about who is speaking (or who spoke) at this official replacement for the UNISON National Retired Members' Conference.

 

According to the report to last year's National Retired Members' Conference, UNISON has in the region of 165,000 retired members (including the author of this blog). We retired members (in accordance with Rule C.2.6.3 in the UNISON Rule Book) are "entitled to attend branch meetings and to vote on issues not relating to the pay and conditions of members in employment." We are also "entitled to stand for office and vote only for positions in the Retired Members' Organisation unless otherwise determined by the National Executive Council or as otherwise provided for in these Rules." (I have added emphasis)

 

Following a Rule change some considerable number of years ago, Rule E.3.3 provides that "the ballot for the post of General Secretary shall be a secret postal ballot of the membership, which shall include retired members, conducted by a Returning Officer independent of the Union." (Again, I have added emphasis).

 

Our retired members amount to more than one eighth of the electorate in the General Secretary election and, by inviting just one of the candidates in the election to speak at the webinar which will replace the Retired Members' Annual Conference, the Retired Members' National Committee appear to be promoting her candidacy (starting with an email which went out to all retired members, and which I received this afternoon).

 

How does this sit with the General Secretary election procedure?

 

Paragraph 45 of the procedure provides that "any nominating body, branch or group of members that invites a prospective candidate to speak at a physical or virtual meeting or social event of the nominating body about their involvement in the election must also invite all the other candidates."

 

Paragraph 51 of the procedure states that "UNISON funds, property or resources cannot be used to support campaigning for any particular candidate." The National Retired Members' Committee is not a "nominating body" in the General Secretary election and therefore is not covered by the exemption to the general rule set out in paragraph 51 of the procedure which entitles nominating bodies briefly to inform their constituents of why they have made a nomination.

 

Now the National Retired Members Committee might say that they are not inviting Christina McAnea to speak about her "involvement in the election" and that therefore they are not using UNISON resources to "support campaigning for any particular candidate". However, this webinar is about the "Care after Covid" campaign, and the Chair of the National Retired Members Committee can be seen on Facebook citing Christina McAnea's involvement in this campaign as part of the reason why she will be casting her vote for Christina.

 

One thing which can be said with some certainty about retired members however is that we weren't born yesterday, and I think we can see an attempt to give one candidate an unfair advantage over others when it stares us in the face. If the National Retired Members Committee want to avoid the perception of an abuse of their position of authority over UNISON resources they should surely invite the other candidates for General Secretary to speak about the issue of "Care after Covid".

 

Otherwise this looks not quite right.