GS ballot announcement

Len McCluskey has been re-elected general secretary of Unite, the union announced today (April 21).

Votes cast in the election were as follows:

Len McCluskey    59, 067

Gerard Coyne    53, 544

Ian Allinson        17, 143

Turnout in the election was 12.2 per cent.

“I congratulate Len McCluskey on his victory and would urge the entire union to pull together in the interests of our members, and not least to work for a Labour victory in the General Election,” said Unite acting general secretary Gail Cartmail.

“The turnout in this important election can give no cause for satisfaction and, while the tone of the campaign will not have helped, the underlying reason remains the archaic and expensive balloting system imposed on trade unions by law,” she added. “The sooner we can move to secure and secret workplace and online voting the better for union democracy.”

The result of the election will be formally declared on Friday, April 28, together with the results of the election for the Unite Executive Council, which has been held in parallel but which has yet to be counted.