Is it time for UNITE to be struck off?
Whale blogs:
As at 31st May 2013 the Unite Union have failed to file their 2011 and 2012 Financial Accounts.
Observation by the Owl
This is a breach of the laws regarding being a Union and being registered with the Incorporated Societies Office.
Any employer could if they wish not negotiate with the Unite union until their status was confirmed.
Interesting question for the Registrar and lawyers to debate.
Unions have great legal privileges under the law. The requirements are few – mainly to be an incorporated society. This means obeying the Incorporated Societies Act.
Not only has UNITE acted like the worst of employers, taking PAYE off its own employees and failing to pass it onto the IRD, they have a pattern of non-compliance with submitting their annual accounts to the Registrar.
Their financial year is to 31 March, so you would expect annual accounts to generally be done, and accepted within six months, say 30 September. Instead this is how many months it has taken them to file recent accounts:
- 2001 – 18 months
- 2002 – 18 months
- 2003 – not done
- 2004 – 7 months
- 2005 – not done
- 2006 – 7 months
- 2007 – 23 months
- 2008 – 18 months
- 2009 – 14 months
- 2010 – 24 months
- 2011 – 26+ months (not yet filed)
- 2012 – 14+ months (not yet filed)
Surely is is time for the Registrar to strike them off for non-compliance?