Government slammed on e-balloting
The TUC has accused the government of “dragging its feet” over allowing electronic voting in industrial action ballots.
A review on the topic — commissioned by the government as a concession to ensure the passage of the Trade Union Bill — has recommended that pilots are carried out before online balloting of union members is made legal. Review author Sir Ken Knight said his concerns over the system’s potential for cyber-attack, hacking and coercion on voters had not been fully answered.
He concluded: “I am not persuaded that e-balloting for industrial action ballots can be introduced immediately. Instead I recommend that a test of e-balloting on non-statutory ballots is necessary as a preliminary step.”
The government said it would “consider Sir Ken’s recommendations and will consult with experts from relevant organisations before responding”.
The TUC said that the review was a “missed opportunity” and that electronic balloting is used by many other membership organisations, including the Conservative Party in its election for a London mayoral candidate in 2016.