Rules 2002
Rule 15
Ethics Council
(a) There
shall be an Ethics Council charged with the responsibility
for the promotion and enforcement of the professional and
ethical standards of the union, with particular reference
to the enforcement of the union’s code of conduct and
with researching and debating ethical issues in media freedom
and regulation.
It shall have
the following duties:
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(i)
To promote the union’s code of conduct among the
general public and to publicise its own work on ethical
matters.
(ii) To promote high ethical standards among the membership.
(iii) To research and debate ethical issues of media
freedom and regulation.
(iv) To advise the NEC on the promotion of union policy
on ethical issues in the area of media freedom and regulation.
(v) To report annually to ADM.
(vi) To hear complaints made against members under the
code of conduct as detailed in Rule 24.
(vii) To provide the editor of the union’s journal
with information enabling him/her to publish accounts
of the Ethics Council’s work. The editor of the
union’s journal shall have the right to attend
meetings of the Ethics Council but not complaints hearings.
(viii) To enlist the support and active help of other
news media, unions and the TUC in the promotion of its
own work and the code of conduct.
(ix) To ensure that chapels establish effective procedures
to oversee professional and ethical standards, using
their collective bargaining power to influence employers
against procuring or condoning breaches of the union’s
code of conduct and to obtain a right of reply where
appropriate. |
(b) The Ethics
Council shall be constituted as follows:
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(i)
Two members registered as working in each of the industrial
sectors, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, to be
nominated by branches with members in those sectors
and elected annually by a ballot of all the members
in that sector. Members of the Ethics Council shall
have the right to attend and speak at meetings of the
industrial councils (including the IEC and Scottish
Executive Council) within their sector and report on
the work of the Ethics Council.
(ii) Two members each, nominated from among their members,
by the Equality Council and the Black Members’
Council. Both the Equality Council and the Black Members’
Council may nominate one deputy member.
(iii) The three national officers of the union, who
may speak but not vote at meetings of the Ethics Council. |
(c) The Ethics
Council shall have a guaranteed education budget, separate
from its budget for meetings.
(d) Members
nominated by the Ethics Council may attend meetings of chapels
and branches to discuss the council’s work.
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