Members of the Works Credit Union are asking government to intervene in the running of the union, as they said the organisation is running contrary to its bylaws as the board does not have a quorum. They said they have lost confidence in the Commissioner of Co-operatives Development and want direct intervention from the line minister for credit unions, the Minister of Youth Development and National Service.

Speaking to Newsday on April 17, past president Fitzroy Ottley and education committee member Neville Warner said their concerns stemmed from the 2022 annual general meeting, when an election was supposed to take place but was aborted because of a fire alarm and was not resumed.

Ottley said at the time the alarm sounded, voting to appoint new members to the board and committees was taking place, with four members of the 12-member board, all three members of the supervisory committee, and three of the five members of the education committee having demitted office. Changes to the budget were also supposed to be considered and approved by the membership during the 2022 meeting.

The members said the meeting was never reconvened, and the credit union was barred by a high court judge from meeting to carry out elections because of the actions of a member who had been suspended from the board prior to the election.

They said a meeting was called in August 2022 but the members were not informed that elections had to be regularised.

Ottley said over 100 members came together in 2023 to sign a petition for a special general meeting which was held on April 14, 2023 and attended by at least 150 members of the credit union.

'The meeting was called to discuss the irregularity of the union continuing to run following the aborted meeting as the former officers went back on the board, without being elected. The board, therefore, didn't have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the union as they were there unofficially and illegally, including the increase of the monthly stipend and approval of overseas travel which was not budgeted for.'

Ottley said the Commissioner of Co-operatives Development was written to on March 12, April 3, and April 11, informing them of the concerns of the union members, but only one response was received, which said the letter had been received.

At the meeting on April 14, a sixth member of the board, attorney Augustus Thomas also resigned, and this was ignored by the board members present. This left the board with six members, according to Ottley, when a quorum of seven was needed to run the union.

'When the meeting began, we asked the executive to recuse themselves, as they could not adjudicate on the matters mentioned in the agenda for the meeting, as they had direct interest in the matters, and the by-laws say no member can sit in adjudication if they have a direct interest. They locked off the microphone and shut us down, stating that they weren't recognising members. They were in total denial of dealing with the i