by René Lavanchy
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis will stand for re-election just after the general election, the union’s national executive committee confirmed this week, in a move likely to bring the policies of Britain’s biggest public sector union – and its close ties with the Labour Party – under intense scrutiny.
Unison officials had informed the NEC that under trade union law Mr Prentis, who is due to retire in 2013, could remain in office without an election. But he told the NEC he wished to stand because “the democracy of the union is paramount if we are to be a strong, united union”.
The committee voted by a decisive majority to hold an early election. Nominations will be sought from next month, with the ballot opening on 17 May. The result will be announced just after Unison’s annual conference in June.
Mr Prentis is widely expected to be nominated for the general secretaryship by the NEC, while Unison’s left-wing faction is expected to choose a candidate in the next few weeks.
But Tribune has learned that Heather Wakefield, Unison’s head of local government, has decided not to stand after receiving insufficient support from the union’s regional secretaries. Ms Wakefield is thought to be unhappy with Mr Prentis’ leadership of the union.
Unison activists were sharply divided on whether an election should be held alongside the general election campaign. NEC member Jon Rogers, who ran against Mr Prentis for general secretary in 2005, wrote on his blog: “The election that matters to our members in 2010 is the General Election… I think we should focus on that now and run the election for general secretary after we know which Government we are having to deal with”.
Another denied it made any difference to wait: “We either have a three month election or a nine month election and it would be solid all the way.”
