The following directions were given to all Branch staff via email on Wednesday 18 February 2026, and apply for the upcoming and all future Branch election periods:

Dear staff,

This email contains clear directions that you are expected to follow in relation to the upcoming elections for positions on Victorian Branch Council. I encourage you to save this advice, as it will apply to any other election that occurs while you work for the Branch.

To be clear, outside of election periods, Branch staff are free to participate in the political life of the union if they so choose. However, during election periods, Branch staff are required to limit that participation by internal policy and by federal law.

First, it is important to understand that you are free - and encouraged - to give general information about the elections themselves: when they are, how they are run, how many positions are up for election, what those positions are - and any of the other information that can be found on this page of the Branch website. If members have further questions, you are free to direct them to me via email, or to the AEC, and both sets of contact details are live on that page.

But from 9AM this coming Tuesday 24 February, until the election is declared by the AEC (mid-May at the latest), all staff must not:

DURING THE ORDINARY HOURS OF WORK, 7:30AM - 6PM MONDAY TO FRIDAY:

1. Promote any candidate, group of candidates, or faction within the Branch in any way. This includes:
1. Campaigning for any candidate, group of candidates, or faction,
2. Encouraging members of the union to vote for a candidate, group of candidates, or faction,
3. Wearing or displaying campaign merchandise in any form
4. Distributing campaign merchandise in any form

Note that you are still free to do these things outside of the ordinary hours and outside of the Branch office.

AT ANY TIME:

2. Use any property or resource of the union at any time in support of any candidate, group of candidates, or faction. This includes:
1. Meeting rooms or offices at the 128 Exhibition Street,
2. Laptops, phones, cars, printers, paper, stationary,
3. Software paid for by the Branch, including the Microsoft Office suite
4. The union email system, including Chitkar or any other EDMS platform
5. The membership database

The simple test is that if the union paid or pays for it, you can’t use it.

Note that the maximum penalty possible if either of these were to occur is 100 penalty units or $33,000, for which the Branch is liable (s190 of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009).

If at any time you find that you have contravened any of these directions or become aware that another member of staff has contravened these directions, you must advise me immediately.

If you've got any further questions on conduct during election periods, I invite you to be proactive and ask me.

With my warm regards,

Mitch Vandewerdt-Holman
Branch Assistant Secretary