Rules 2002
Rule 12
Chapels
(a) A chapel
of the union shall be formed wherever there are three or
more members in an office or organisation.
(b) The chapel
is responsible for maintaining and extending union organisation
in such office or organisation; ensuring that union agreements
are observed; seeking to ensure that its members uphold
the code of conduct and that management recognises and respects
the code of conduct; and for safeguarding members’
interests generally. It may discuss union policy.
(c) The chapel
shall report regularly to its branch and shall immediately
inform its branch, the appropriate industrial council or
councils and the NEC of any dispute on union principle arising
with its employers. The chapel is subject to the branch,
but can appeal to the NEC against any branch decision.
(d) The chapel
shall elect annually:
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(i)
a father/mother of Chapel as their representative,
(ii) a clerk to keep the records,
(iii) an equality officer to promote equality issues
in house negotiations and to act as a focus for questions
arising from clause 10 of the code of conduct,
(iv) a welfare officer (if the chapel has more than
50 members) to care for the interests of sick members
and their spouses and liaise with the Provident Fund,
(v) such other officers as are necessary.
Not less than seven days’ notice shall be given
of the annual meeting of a chapel. |
(e) Chapels
should meet monthly and shall meet at least once a quarter.
The branch committee or the NEC in consultation with the
branch may convene a chapel meeting.
(f) A chapel
or a chapel committee may instruct members to attend a mandatory
meeting of the chapel providing that a motion to that effect
is carried at a previous meeting of the chapel or –
in the case of the chapel committee issuing the instruction
– at a previous meeting of the committee. Any chapel
member who fails to attend the whole of a mandatory chapel
meeting without reasonable cause is liable to disciplinary
proceedings. The NEC and/or Emergency Committee and/or appropriate
industrial council shall have the power to instruct chapels
to call mandatory meetings; in addition the NEC or the Emergency
Committee may exercise its power to call a mandatory meeting
through the appropriate industrial council. Should a mandatory
chapel meeting constitute a withdrawal of labour the rules
covering employment disputes shall apply.
(g) Chapels
shall have rules which shall conform to union rules and
be approved by the branch. Editors shall be ineligible for
office as father/mother or clerk, save that in chapels covering
more than one magazine title and having more than one magazine
editor eligible for union membership, magazine editor members
shall be entitled to hold chapel office, subject to approval
of the appropriate industrial council or, within the Republic
of Ireland, the IEC. Editors and section heads shall be
entitled to attend chapel meetings but may be excluded from
any meeting by a vote of chapel members. No permanent exclusion
shall be operated by any chapel without the prior approval
of the NEC.
(h) NEC members,
industrial council members, IEC and SEC members and branch
officers shall have the right to attend and speak at meetings
of chapels in their electoral areas.
(j) Legitimate
chapel expenses may be paid at the discretion of the branch
from branch funds.
(k) Chapels
should be affiliated to federated house chapels.
(l)
(i) A federated
group chapel shall be formed where a company employing NUJ
members is part of a group of companies or a corporation
in which other NUJ members are employed.
(ii) Subject to the approval of the IEC, the Scottish Council
or the appropriate industrial council the purpose of the
group chapels will be to advise, assist and supervise on
all matters related to terms and conditions of employment
of NUJ members in constituent chapels and where possible
provide mutual aid and support between chapels.
(iii) The FoC/MoC or a representative elected by each chapel
shall be required to attend meetings of the group chapel
and to give a report to the group on all matters related
to terms and conditions of employment and such other matters
as may be considered relevant from time to time at meetings
of the group chapel.
(iv) Group chapels shall meet at least quarterly and at
such other times as deemed necessary by the group chapel
or its officers.
(v) Each group chapel shall elect from among the representatives
from chapels a group FoC/MoC, a clerk and a treasurer who
shall jointly have executive authority to act between meetings.
(vi) Group chapel business shall be conducted in accordance
with the model rules drawn up by the NEC. Amendments to
these model rules shall not become operative until they
have been endorsed by the NEC.
(vii) The NEC shall make a grant from the central fund to
each group chapel each year to meet the basic running costs
of the group chapel and such other specific activities as
agreed between the group chapel and the NEC.
(viii) Each chapel shall pay to the group chapel an amount
determined by the NEC in respect of each member of the chapel
for each calendar year to be raised by a chapel levy. The
payment will be made by a date to be determined by the NEC
after consultation with the group chapel and will be based
on membership figures at 30 September.
(m) No chapel
or group of members shall negotiate or sign an agreement
on wages or office conditions without receiving the approval
of the appropriate industrial council or the IEC or SEC.
(n) Each chapel
shall have an agreement with its freelances giving them
voting rights and full participation in chapel activities.
A representative of freelance members shall be invited to
attend any negotiations with employers relating to freelance
pay and conditions.
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