To all Unite constitutional committees, branches, activists and members
We are taking the unusual step of issuing a statement to Unite constitutional committees, branches, activist and members , given the unprecedented situation that the Union is in. We fully respect the established mechanisms for the Union to engage with all members, but wanted to be clear about our position given recent communications that have been sent out . Colleagues will no doubt have heard that the majority of the Unite EC adjourned their participation in this week’s meeting of the Unite Executive Council. You may also have been told misleading reasons as to why.
We adjourned our participation following a special meeting of the EC,that took place prior to the normal meeting, to debate and vote on a single motion under rule 14.7. This rule provides for the election and removal of Executive Council Chairs. At this meeting, a majority of the EC voted for the EC Chair, Andy Green, to be removed from his position by 31 votes in favour, with 28 against, and 1 abstention.
Despite the clear democratic will of the majority of the EC being expressed, the ex-Chair, acting under the advice of Unite’s Legal Director, Steve Pinder, refused to accept the outcome – ignoring the Unite rule book.
The decision to adjourn the participation of the majority of EC members was not taken lightly. For over 1 ½ years, numerous EC members have been raising serious concerns about the lack of governance, scrutiny, transparency of finances and financial decision making within our union, as well as serious concerns over the day to day financial stability of our union. Unfortunately, Mr Green has sought to stymie our attempts to have these serious concerns addressed.
The EC is a member elected body, and each EC member has a legal responsibility to ensure the proper running of the union on behalf of its members. It would be a dereliction of duty if we do not ensure that we can question or hold the General Secretary and the wider administration to account on their actions and behaviour and the use of our money.
Executive Council meetings at the moment are not allowing us to carry out our scrutiny and governance role due to the actions of the ex-Chair. This is the role and function of the EC according to our rulebook and we make no apologies for taking our role as guardians of our great union very seriously. Despite the attempts to smear and denigrate our actions, we will continue to fight for a restoration of democratic scrutiny and financial transparency in our union.
We wish to make it clear that Unite the Union is a lay led member union and that the Unite Executive Council is obliged to oversee the governance of the organisation, and to ensure accountability of the senior officials in the union. – that is our role and that is what we’ve been elected to do.
We voted to remove the ex-Chair because we wanted to ensure that we could carry out our legal obligations to ensure to transparent and smooth running of the union, which he was actively seeking to prevent.
Contrary to the smears and inaccuracies being put out by certain people, we have remained present and available in the same building as the minority section of the EC, seeking to find a way forward. Unfortunately, every approach we have made has been flatly rejected.
We have given the General Secretary a number of opportunities to resolve this and to respect the majority of the EC, as per the rules of our union, but her refusal and the continuation of an inquorate EC led by the ex-Chair, have meant we have needed to take this action. We repeatedly confirmed that we would return immediately to the meeting, upon confirmation that the ex-Chair would respect the democratic will of the EC and stand aside.
He repeatedly refused to do so. As a result all week we have been liaising with legal advisors on the next steps to ensure that the democratic will of your EC is honoured. We continue to hope that such legal action will not be necessary and that Mr Green will agree to step down immediately and recognise the democratic decision of the EC.
See the 31 members of the Unite EC majority below
