Public workers to vote for new First Vice President in special election

by Linda Straker

• Devon Francis resigned as 1^st Vice President on 18 June
• Public Workers Union will be voting in a special election on Wednesday, 18 September
• Approximately 3,000 public workers are qualified to vote

The membership of the Public Workers Union (PWU) will be voting in a special election on Wednesday, 18 September because a member of the executive council who was elected during the March 2019 Annual General Meeting has resigned.

Daisy Hazzard, Public Relations Officer for the union said that Devon Francis who was elected to serve as the 1^st Vice President resigned from the post as of 18 June 2019. “Therefore, this special meeting and election, which is in accordance with the union’s constitution, is to fill the post which is now vacant,” she said. She explained that Francis, who is a medical doctor by profession, had given “personal matters” as his reason for resigning after serving for less than four months.

Approximately 3,000 public workers are qualified to vote in the election which will be held at the union’s headquarters in Tanteen. Nomination will be done on the day of the special meeting and the person elected will serve for the period 2019–2021.

Hazzard also confirmed that since the new executive was elected, several shop stewards have resigned. “That we have dealt with internally as an executive council, but we must come back to the general membership to fill the vacant executive council post. There is no other option,” she said.

In March, Rachel Roberts was re-elected to serve as the union’s president for the period 2019–2021. Most of the other members elected to that executive had openly campaigned for another person to serve as president.

It is understood that Roberts and her executive members are not always in agreement about making decisions that are in the best interest of union and its members, and as a result, there is growing uneasiness among the executive.

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