The European Cooperative Society (Involvement of Employees) Regulations 2006

Conduct of the ballot U.K.

7.—(1) The relevant employers must—

(a) ensure that a ballot supervisor appointed under paragraph 6(3)(d) carries out his functions under this paragraph and that there is no interference with his carrying out of those functions from the relevant employers; and

(b) comply with all reasonable requests made by a ballot supervisor for the purposes of, or in connection with, the carrying out of those functions.

(2) A ballot supervisor's appointment shall require that he—

(a) supervises the conduct of the ballot, or the separate ballots he is being appointed to supervise, in accordance with the arrangements for the ballot of UK employees published by the relevant employers under paragraph 6(3)(f) or, where appropriate, in accordance with the arrangements as required to be modified by an order made as a result of a complaint presented under paragraph 6(4);

(b) does not conduct the ballot or any of the separate ballots before the relevant employers have satisfied the requirement specified in paragraph 6(3)(f) and—

(i) where no complaint has been presented under paragraph 6(4), before the expiry of a period of 21 days beginning on the date on which the relevant employers published their arrangements under paragraph 6(3)(f); or

(ii) where a complaint has been presented under paragraph 6(4), before the complaint has been determined and, where appropriate, the arrangements have been modified as required by an order made as a result of that complaint;

(c) conducts the ballot, or each separate ballot so as to secure that—

(i) so far as reasonably practicable, those entitled to vote are given the opportunity to vote;

(ii) so far as reasonably practicable, those entitled to stand as candidates are given the opportunity to stand;

(iii) so far as reasonably practicable, those voting are able to do so in secret; and

(iv) the votes given in the ballot are fairly and accurately counted.

(3) As soon as reasonably practicable after the holding of the ballot, the ballot supervisor must publish the results of the ballot in such manner as to make them available to the relevant employers and, so far as reasonably practicable, the UK employees entitled to vote in the ballot and the persons who stood as candidates.

(4) A ballot supervisor shall publish a report (“an ineffective ballot report”) where he considers (whether on the basis of representations made to him by another person or otherwise) that—

(a) any of the requirements referred to in sub-paragraph (2) was not satisfied with the result that the outcome of the ballot would have been different; or

(b) there was an interference with the carrying out of his functions or a failure by the relevant employers to comply with all reasonable requests made by him with the result that he was unable to form a proper judgement as to whether each of the requirements referred to in sub-paragraph (2) was satisfied in the ballot.

(5) Where a ballot supervisor publishes an ineffective ballot report the report must be published within a period of one month commencing on the date on which the ballot supervisor publishes the results of the ballot under sub-paragraph (3).

(6) A ballot supervisor shall publish an ineffective ballot report in such manner as to make it available to the relevant employers and, so far as reasonably practicable, the UK employees entitled to vote in the ballot and the persons who stood as candidates in the ballot.

(7) Where a ballot supervisor publishes an ineffective ballot report then—

(a) if there has been a single ballot or an ineffective ballot report has been published in respect of every separate ballot, the outcome of the ballot or ballots shall have no effect and the relevant employers shall again be under the obligation in paragraph 6(2).

(b) If there have been separate ballots and paragraph (a) does not apply—

(i) the relevant employers shall arrange for the separate ballot or ballots in respect of which an ineffective ballot report was published to be re-held in accordance with paragraph 6 and this paragraph; and

(ii) no such ballot shall have effect until it has been re-held and no ineffective ballot report has been published in respect of it within the period specified in sub-paragraph (5).

(8) All costs relating to the holding of a ballot, including payments made to a ballot supervisor for supervising the conduct of the ballot, shall be borne by the relevant employers (whether or not an ineffective ballot report has been published).