Below
are some extracts from the online publication by the Certification Office.
The link is here
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/561133/PH.2.16-17.pdf
“The Hearing 25. The
hearing shall take place on 19-21 December 2016 at a venue to be notified to
the parties. The concern expressed that the proceedings should be audible to
all present was noted.”
“It
was provisionally agreed that the first two days would be for witness evidence
with the third day for submissions and closing speeches.”
“Witness Evidence
14. Mr Burgess’s witnesses will
be himself, Helen Davies, Claire Dixon, John Harris and Hannah O’Reilly.
15. Mr Rogers and Mr Bannister
will give evidence themselves.
16. Ms Wakefield’s witnesses will
be herself, Glen Williams, Paula Barker, Michael
Jackson and Eddy Coulson.
17. The Union’s witnesses will be
Roger McKenzie, Cliff Williams, Bronwyn McKenna, Liane Venner and a witness
from ERS.”
The venue for the Certification Office
hearings take place at the below venue (unless otherwise stated):-
Venue: Fleetbank
House 2-5 Salisbury Square London EC4Y
8J
Hearings
are held in public (unless otherwise stated) and will commence at 10:00 am.
Anyone wishing to attend a hearing should telephone or email the Certification
Office (020 7210 3734 / info@certoffice.org) so that we may arrange for a security
access pass to be produced.
“First
Eleven” are as follows:
1. John Burgess
2. Adam Tipple
3. Phil O Reilly
4. Patrick Hunter
5. Claire Dixon
6. Liz James
7. Alan Wylie
8. Hugh Jordan
9. Maggi Myland
10. Helen
Davies
11. John
Harris
Background #Unisongate
complaints:
To
understand some of the issues please listen and read the information and links
below which have been all online in the public domain for almost 10 months.
1.
Whistleblowing tape – 21 October 2015
A damning
audiotape emerged in early December 2015 provided evidence that senior
officials of Britain’s biggest public service union, UNISON, had allegedly
acted in blatant breach of the union’s own rules to secure the incumbent
general secretary’s re-election.
The
23-minute tape appeared on an Anonymous Blog here: https://uniondemocracyblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/01/rogue-unison-regional-secretary-breaking-unison-rules-in-election-rigging-scandal/
The audio
file can be downloaded online here:
The audio
recording repeatedly features the voice of UNISON’s London regional secretary,
who can be heard repeatedly thanking paid union officials under her management
for their work in securing branch nominations for the three-term incumbent
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis.
“We have done very well and I want to thank everybody and congratulate
them on getting the nominations that they have got. This is a list of the
Greater London branch nominations for Dave Prentis the deadline closed last
Friday, I do not have a list of the other candidates, and that will appear in
due course but I haven’t got it. But we have done very well, we’ve got almost
50 nominations here so that is excellent and thanks very much, er Dave is very
very pleased and he has related that to me personally er it is very important
because obviously this is going to be a hard fought election.”
(UNISON
London Regional Secretary to UNISON London Region paid officials on 21 October
2015).
The
recording includes derogatory references to Mr Prentis’ three election
opponents (Roger Bannister, John Burgess and Heather Wakefield) and their
supporters along with a detailed discussion of what London regional officials
can do to bolster the Prentis campaign in the days running up to the start of
the postal ballot on 9 November. There is also an explicit warning not to get “caught
out”, while mention of the union’s election rules provokes widespread
laughter.
2. Team
Dave campaign emails
The
public were first made aware of the Team Dave campaign emails when an article
appeared in Private Eye in early February.
You can
read the Private Eye article here https://www.scribd.com/doc/312252796/Private-Eye-p-38-Feb-2016
Here are
some extracts from the above Private Eye article
“Leaked emails reach the Eye providing more evidence that full-time
staff of Unison mobilised to get general secretary Dave Prentis re-elected in
December making the union’s claim to be a “member-led” look increasingly
questionable.”
And
“The emails passed to the Eye from within the Prentis campaign indicate
that Unison officials were in fact the backbone of “Team Dave”. The emails were
sent by assistant general secretary Cliff Williams in October and November. The
bulk of the recipients were other Unison officials – a rough count shows 45 of
50 addresses are regional secretaries, head office staff and other unison
staff.”
“One striking “Team Dave” note
says: “it may be in some circumstance you may be able to ‘circumvent’ hostile
branches by working with sympathetic employer contacts. I acknowledge that some
colleagues may feel this is ethically inappropriate but it doesn’t breach campaign
rules; it will have to be done with caution.”
It may not break campaign rules, but it still doesn’t look good.
Similarly, having Unison officials lead the Prentis campaign doesn’t match the
spirit of the union being “member led”.
The third extract above is in our view one
of the most damming, especially for those grassroots reps and members who have
been fighting employers who are either sacking, privatising or cutting the
Terms and Conditions of our members. The idea that paid officials would go behind
the backs of local branches is appalling and has no place in a trade union. To
date there has been no condemnation of these remarks or any investigation.
The “Team
Dave” emails provide a context to the content of the audio tape of the meeting
in London on 21 October 2015.
Read
Three earlier Private Eye articles here
1. Unison on tape
2. A family affair
3. A greasy poll
End.
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