I have advocated for changes in the past for the system that Unison operates at branch level. At present key branch officers are elected at annual AGM's and those standing are allowed, in most instances to make a brief speech that lasts for 2 to 3 minutes, so if someone from an ultra group delivers a populist speech telling those in the hall what they want to hear they get elected!
AGM's are usually attended by the minority of those in membership so in my last branch, Lambeth Unison for example, 100 people, which is around 5% of the total membership, would turn up and vote. This, of course meant that so called 'popular names' like myself or Jon of the Rogers, always got elected but the method is surely wrong.
It is undoubtedly incorrect for a democratic organisation to be saying to its members that unless you can physically turn up at a meeting you cannot exercise your democratic right to elect your own officers? NEC and other elections are done by the ballot so why can't we import the same principle and apply this to branches? Every member must have a vote!!
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