Ballot on a local issue

[notsure.com]

Our office is about to hold a ballot about a local issue.

We have to hand completed ballot papers into the Union Rep who will then count them. A few members have concerns about this and have asked that we place them in a ballot box. The Rep doesn’t want to do this and says that they are honest person.

Can we as union members demand that a ballot box is used?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

If this is an official ballot then there are strict rules that MUST be obeyed for it to be a legal strike:

https://www.gov.uk/industrial-action-st ... g-a-ballot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Properly organised ballots
A ballot for industrial action must:

be supervised by a qualified independent person (a ‘scrutineer’ - often someone from an organisation like the Electoral Reform Society) appointed by the union if over 50 members are being balloted
be held before the union asks members to take or continue taking action
be open to all members the union wants to take action
be a postal ballot where members vote by marking a box on a voting paper and return it in a prepaid envelope
include information on what the ballot is about and where to post your vote
The union must tell everyone entitled to vote how many people voted, the number of yes votes, no votes or spoiled papers as soon as it can after the ballot.

It must also give the employer one week’s notice of the start of the ballot and tell them the result as soon as possible once it’s available.

There’s practical guidance on these rules in the code of practice on industrial action ballots. https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... -employers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TrueBlueTerrier]

If however, it's not for industrial action then the above rules don't apply but I would have thought the rep would have preferred a ballot box as even if he is as honest as the day is long, asking for papers to be returned to himself direct would leave him open to claims of interference.

[notsure.com]

If however, it's not for industrial action then the above rules don't apply but I would have thought the rep would have preferred a ballot box as even if he is as honest as the day is long, asking for papers to be returned to himself direct would leave him open to claims of interference.

No it's not for strike action. Interference is why we want a ballot box used. I just don't understand why he would leave himself open to any accusations of this. He seems hellbent on no ballot box though and I guess we'll just have to trust that he is honest. Although I'm firmly in the Fox Mulder 'Trust No One' camp

[Bernardson]

As an ex rep on local ballots around issues in the Unit I would have a ballot box placed in an accessible place. I would ask two people from the floor to count the ballot papers in the open before the result was announced.