PIAA members defer SGM

The proposed Special General Meeting (SGM) by PIAA members aimed at fronting the Board over recent actions in the PIAA has been deferred for a maximum of 14 days. The disaffected members were due to present the request for a Special General Meeting at 3pm today, however the submission will be delayed by up to 14 day as the backers seek to give the Board space to manouvre in the light of the resignation of David Leach. However the members behind the SGM say that should the situation not improve they will resume the submission of the SGM. The PIAA has never had a request for a Special General meeting in its 170 year history. This SGM is proposed as a vehicle for a vote of no confidence in the Board. The driving force for the current SGM has come from Queensland members upset that its two staff members have just been told they are no longer wanted, leaving them with just the state manager, and no Board representation since the resignation of Susan Heaney almost two months ago, and the ongoing turmoil at the PIAA with the resignations of the president and the CEO and the perceived lack of transparency about the three year strategic plan.

Deferred: PIAA SGM for members will be delayed for max 14 days

Deferred: PIAA SGM for members will be delayed for max 14 days

Subsequent to developments in the past 48 hours, such as the resignation of the Board’s President, it is apparent that the Board of Printing Industries is once again listening to members’ voices. On behalf of the members requesting that the Association convene as SGM, it pleases me to announce that the submission of the SGM Request is now deferred for a further period of 14 days, to enable discussions to take place and vacant Board positions to be filled so as to ensure strong and representative leadership for the industry’s peak body. It is our wish that these discussions will bear positive fruit for the good of our entire industry, its employers and employees. Should this not be the case, the request for an SGM will resume currency. Spokesman for the statement Simon Rowbottom asserts at this stage the SGM is still ‘in discussion’ amongst board and industry members, and says it is ‘not an ideal situation’ to ‘enforce’ an SGM on the PIAA Board. Rowbottom says the main reason for the deferral is to minimise the already burgeoning damage to the PIAA, with the hope that the issues can be resolved without a SGM taking place. Jason Allen says, “I welcome the decision in regard to the SGM, it is not a good look for the industry if the sponsors, buyers and government see it divided.” The members behind the SGM had achieved the more than 50 signatories required, with some 80 per cent of them from Queensland and the rest from the other states. It is unclear how much broader support the members behind the move for an SGM have, with some influential PIAA members publicly backing Leach. Recent developments within Printing Industries, the association representing printers, graphic arts businesses and related employers in Australia, led to the call for a Special General Meeting (SGM) in accordance with the Constitution (Rulebook) of the Association, and regulations governed by the Fair Work Commission (FWC). This SGM primarily calls for a vote of no confidence in the current Board. The Rulebook calls for at least 50 member votes to be gained in order for the requesting of an SGM to be successful. The main drive for this request emanated from Queensland members, triggered by the arbitrary termination of employment of two hard working and successful staff, leaving the Qld branch with just one staff member. This, plus other matters of concern, such as disposal of assets and in the way in which Printing Industries was being run, catalysed a national drive for SGM votes. Well over 50 votes for an SGM have been secured and are due to be delivered to the Secretary of Printing Industries, by courier, in Sydney on Thursday 28th January 2016 at or around 3pm. This would be the first such a ‘no confidence’ SGM in 170 years of the Association’s history has been held. Subsequent to developments in the past 48 hours, such as the resignation of the Board’s President, it is apparent that the Board of Printing Industries is once again listening to members’ voices. On behalf of the members requesting that the Association convene as SGM, it pleases me to announce that the submission of the SGM Request is now deferred for a further period of 14 days, to enable discussions to take place and vacant Board positions to be filled so as to ensure strong and representative leadership for the industry’s peak body. It is our wish that these discussions will bear positive fruit for the good of our entire industry, its employers and employees. Should this not be the case, the request for an SGM will resume currency. More than 50 votes have been secured for a SGM and the submission request has been deferred for a maximum period of 14 days in order to fill vacant board positions and enable discussions between parties. Spokesman for the statement Simon Rowbottom asserts at this stage the SGM is still ‘in discussion’ amongst board and industry members, and says it is ‘not an ideal situation’ to ‘enforce’ a SGM on the PIAA board. Rowbottom says the main reason for the deferral is to minimise the already burgeoning damage to the PIAA, and the industry body hopes the issues can be resolved without a SGM taking place. As an industry member Rowbottom voiced his own personal concern over the lack of commitment and communication the peak industry body has offered. “There has been very little communication between the PIAA and members, and the members have been far from included,” he says. Rowbottom also says the SGM, if a date and time is finally settled, will involve the discussion of appointing a new CEO and president, however at the moment members are ‘still not even sure who is on the board’. The statement released to the public reads: “The main drive for this request emanated from Queensland members, triggered by the arbitrary termination of employment of two hard working and successful staff, leaving the Qld branch with just one staff member.” “It is our wish that these discussions will bear positive fruit for the good of our entire industry, its employers and employees. Should this not be the case, the request for a SGM will resume currency.” Spokesperson Rowbottom told ProPrint the positive fruit mentioned in the statement means the ‘inclusion, involvement and consultation’ of industry members, and an active discussion without the need for an SGM.  

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