The PIAA members pushing for a Special General Meeting are on collision course with the PIAA Board, with virtually no chance the Board will meet the demands outlined by the members in its letter by tomorrow’s ‘deadline’.
Board members contacted by ProPrint following the letter with its various demands were in the main not commenting. However sources close to the Board indicated that there was little chance of any of the demands being met. Quite apart from the demands themselves this is due in part to practical reasons with the Board members being unable to give requisite time to consider the demands, they were unimpressed with a two day deadline. The factual accuracy of the letter was also being questioned.
The demands with the threat of an SGM to have a vote of no confidence in the Board is being driven in the main by angry Queensland members and some industry identities. Whether it has wholesale backing from the 1000+ members of the PIAA remains to be seen, but some influential industry figures do support the current Board.
Amid all the uncertainty industry commentators are asking how the PIAA will recover from the crisis. It is already seeing a shortfall in revenue as member growth is not going as planned. Divisions are deepening, with many viewing the current Board as the best people for the job, while the angry members take the opposite view and want them gone. Whether the losers and their supporters will stick around is a big question.
Meanwhile the PIAA’s standing, and by proxy that of the whole industry, is taking a battering with government and sponsors. The new CEO will have certainly have his or her work cut out.
[Related: Jason Allen defends PIAA]
The demands from the irate members in the letter, signed by longstanding member Tom Eckersley from Print Approach, include staffing matters and structural issues. They demand controversial CEO Jason Allen – due to leave on April 1 – to vacate his desk immediately, Peter Mansfield and Ron Patterson – who was shown the door by the PIAA three years ago – being given their old jobs back as state managers of SA and Vic respectively, and Mel Ireland retaining her job in Qld from which she is being released from on Feb 9.
They also include new selection procedures for the Board with at least two printers from each State on the Board. They want the Board members that will fill the casual vacancies caused by the resignations of David Leach, Susan Heaney and Stephen Edwards to be nominated by the members. They outline certain characteristics of the new CEO, and a representative group of members vetting the new CEO before appointment.
If the SGM goes ahead it will be the first time in the PIAA’s 170 year history that an SGM has been called or a vote of no confidence in the PIAA Board issued.
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