Members raised significant concerns over the postponement of the meeting.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has made a significant U-turn after members raised concerns over the postponement of an emergency meeting.
Earlier this year two presidential candidates, the incumbent Prof Anne Marie Rafferty CBE and Stuart McKenzie, were disqualified from the presidential race after being accused of using the unions resources to campaign.
Disagreeing with the decision, over 1,000 members subsequently triggered the emergency meeting calling for an independent review of the election and governance processes.
Last week, RCN Council voted to postpone this meeting but following anger from members has now backtracked on that decision.
An independent review of the elections concluded earlier this week that there were significant shortcomings in the unions election policy and suggested that a more “consistent approach” may have also led to the disqualification of other candidates.
Chair of RCN Council Dave Dawes said: “We apologise for any confusion that has come from a lack of clarity around the timing of this meeting.
“We try our best as your governing Council to make decisions on behalf of all members, but this isn’t always easy.
“It is clear that many members feel strongly about the issues that led to the meeting being called.
“We know some members booked time off work and arranged to attend. And while the winter pressures and COVID-19 remain as present as ever, we have a duty to listen and act on that strength of feeling. That’s why we’ve decided to press ahead with the original date.”
