Fresh election for position of general secretary must be held

The United Road Transport Union (URTU) is to run a fresh election for the position of general secretary after being found to have breached its rules during the course of the election held in December 2015. 


The unopposed winner of that election, the incumbent, Bob Monks, has therefore had to stand down.


The certification officer voided the election after ruling that Shaun Keating, a full-time officer of the union, had been unreasonably excluded as a candidate. 


URTU argued that it was a well understood policy of the union that full-time officers were excluded from being candidates in a contested election against an incumbent general secretary. 


However, on investigation, the certification officer found that there was not a policy or rule in place that was sufficiently clear and well understood to allow the union to exclude Keating.


Because the election was nullified, the certification officer also found that Monks, first elected in 2001 and subsequently re-elected three times, had therefore exceeded his term of office. The certification officer ordered that he stand down.


The union has not yet established a timetable for the new election but it must be concluded by 31 July this year.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/570744/D.23-25.16-17.pdf