The contest over the leadership of Ucatt descended into farce after watchdog the Certification Office warned the union is running the risk of invalidating another election, Building reported.
The watchdog made the comments after Ucatt barred candidates Mick Dooley and Alan Ritchie from standing for election.
A spokesperson for the Certification Office (CO) said that the election could be invalidated if it is called in to investigate and finds the decisions to bar Dooley and Ritchie broke the union’s rules.
A new leader of Britain’s builders is needed after former general secretary Alan Ritchie was removed from office over voting irregularities, which were made public by Dooley.
The Certification Office declared Ucatt’s previous leadership election void after finding ballot papers were sent to less than half of the union’s claimed 130,000 members, forcing Ritchie to resign in April. In September Ritchie was suspended from Ucatt amid an ongoing investigation into expenses.
But in a letter sent to Dooley, interim general secretary George Guy said Ucatt’s selection committee had decided Dooley was “not a fit and proper candidate for the job of general secretary”.
The letter cited the fact that Dooley was dismissed as regional secretary in January. Dooley is challenging his dismissal as regional secretary – his case was heard at an employment tribunal in September and is awaiting judgment.
Dooley is now seeking a High Court injunction to prevent the union from proceeding with the election without his name on the ballot paper, Construction Enquirer reported.
Dooley said: “Why not allow all the candidates to state their position on the election address and allow the members to decide?”
Construction News reported that just two candidates will be on the ballot paper when members vote to elect a new general secretary on 11 November.
Ucatt regional secretary for Yorkhire Steve Murphy and regional secretary for London and the South-east Jerry Swain were to stand after the union’s selection committee ruled out Dooley and Ritchie, the two other prospective candidates.
