As a member I would expect my branch secretary to organise the most important ballot in the past 10 years.
The company refused to give him the time off, what should he have done?
Are you suggesting he let down the membership by not giving them the chance to be balloted?
Point of order, but werent the days in question after the 12 days of Christmas had been called off because they had ballsed the ballot up? There was no "most important ballot" being organised at the time.