Rules 2002
Rule 9
Delegate meetings
(a) A delegate
meeting shall be held at least annually in some centre to
be chosen by the NEC for the purpose of:
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(i) Receiving
the annual report and accounts made up to the previous
30 September.
(ii) Revising the rules and deciding questions of general
policy raised upon notice by the following bodies entitled
to table motions and amendments: branches, Black Members’
Council, Continental European Council, Disabled Members’
Council, Equality Council, Ethics Council, IEC, NEC,
SEC, each industrial council.
(iii) Electing the President, Vice-President and General
Treasurer from the incoming NEC, and, from persons nominated
by branches,:
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(a)
The Appeals Tribunal
(b) The Disabled Members’ Council.
(c) Members to the Equality Council
(d). The Standing Orders Committee (SOC) for the
next ADM.
(e) The union’s delegation to the Trades
Union Congress of that year.
(f) A six person delegation to the Committee of
the British National Pensioners’ Convention.
(g) Committees and delegates to other bodies it
from time to time deems appropriate. |
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(b) The delegate
meeting shall consist of:
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(i) Voting
delegates elected by branches.
(ii) Non-voting members, that is: all members of the
NEC and Standing Orders Committee and two members each
from: Black Members’ Council, Continental European
Council, Disabled Members’ Council, Equality Council,
Ethics Council, IEC, SEC, each industrial council; and
salaried officials. Non-voting members other than employee
members may also be voting delegates. Non-voting members
may move and speak but not vote. |
(c) The decisions
of the ADM shall be final other than decisions taken by
a ballot of the whole membership or decisions taken under
Rule 8(z). The union shall not affiliate to, or disaffiliate
from, any body until the proposal to do so has been submitted
to a ballot of the members in which a simple majority of
those voting shall decide the issue.
(d) (i) The
General Secretary shall each year set a timetable for the
preparation of business for ADM and shall announce it not
later than the close of the previous ADM, as follows:
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(a) A
latest date for the receipt at head office of motions
and nominations, not later than 17 weeks before the
start of the ADM;
(b) A latest date for the dispatch to tabling bodies
of the preliminary agenda, not later than 14 weeks before
the start of the ADM;
(c) A latest date for the receipt at head office of
confirmation of or amendments to motions in the preliminary
agenda, not later than eight weeks before the start
of the ADM.
(d) a latest date for the dispatch to tabling bodies
of the final agenda, together with the annual report
and the accounts, not later than five weeks before the
start of the ADM.
(e) the date, determined by the NEC, in accordance with
Rule 8(b), at which the number of members in each sector
entitled to vote in NEC elections is to be determined.
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(ii) Notices
of motions on the preliminary agenda shall be provisional
and will lapse unless they are chosen by SOC as selected
motions or are confirmed by the tabling body or are subject
to a notice of amendment by any tabling body.
(iii) Motions not received by the date specified for the
preliminary agenda may be considered by ADM if they are
late notice motions or emergency motions.
(a) SOC shall make provision for late notice motions and
amendments to them in the draft standing orders for ADM.
Late notice motions shall be in the hands of the General
Secretary not later than noon of the day prior to ADM and
shall not be considered by ADM until the day following the
latest time stipulated in the standing orders for the receipt
of amendments.
(b) Late notice motions shall:
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(1) relate
to events that have occurred since the latest date for
the receipt of motions, or to the accounts;
(2) involve decisions which cannot be taken other than
by a delegate meeting;
(3) have been considered at a meeting of the tabling
body for which due notice was given as required by rule
and be so certified by the tabling body. |
(c) Emergency
motions may be considered if provision for them has been
made in the standing orders for ADM. Notwithstanding such
provision, emergency motions shall not be laid before ADM
unless:
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(1) they
concern grave and urgent matters affecting the union;
(2) they require immediate action for which the authority
of a delegate meeting is required; and
(3) they are tabled and submitted to SOC by not fewer
than five tabling bodies in respect of each such motion. |
(e) Delegates
to delegate meetings shall be life members or members who
have paid contributions due for the quarter in which the
meeting falls and who are not disqualified under Rule 4(j)
or by any decision of the NEC or the Appeals Tribunal at
the time of nominations or of the meeting. They shall be
nominated and elected by branches and shall bring their
membership cards to the meeting.
(f) Branches
shall appoint delegates in accordance with the number of
life members and the number of members in benefit as shown
in the latest available quarterly membership and arrears
statement covering a date not less than three calendar months
and not more than six calendar months prior to the first
day of the delegate meeting, on the following basis:
|
Branch
Membership
|
No.
of Delegates
|
|
1 - 100 |
1 |
|
101
- 250 |
2 |
|
251
- 400 |
3 |
|
401
- 550 |
4 |
|
551
- 700 |
5 |
|
701
- 850 |
6 |
|
851
- 1,000 |
7 |
|
1,001
- 2,000 |
8 |
|
2,001
+ |
9 |
The votes
of a branch shall not exceed the number of its delegates
at ADM, and shall be recorded by delegates displaying their
credential cards. A delegate temporarily absent from the
meeting may transfer his/her credential card to any other
delegate and authorise him/her to vote on his/her behalf.
(g) The return
railway fares, air fares where considered appropriate by
the NEC, and subsistence allowances of delegates, shall
be paid by the NEC.
(h) A motion
which sets out to determine the level of contributions or
benefits shall not be declared carried unless two-thirds
of the votes cast are in favour.
(j) The election
of national officers shall, in the event of a contest, be
by a ballot of the delegates. Each ballot shall be conducted
on the principle of the single transferable vote.
(k) Should
there be insufficient nominations to fill vacancies in accordance
with Rule 9 (a) (iii), the General Secretary shall, at the
start of business, declare elected those who have been properly
nominated. ADM shall then have discretion to call for further
nominations. If ADM so decides, the General Secretary shall
set a timetable for nominations and elections to enable
the process to be completed before the end of ADM. In such
circumstances each nomination shall be supported by at least
five tabling bodies.
(l) The NEC
shall have power to call a special delegate meeting (SDM)
or to vary the time and place of any delegate meeting.
(m) The NEC
shall call an SDM within two months of receiving a requisition
by not less than one-fifth of the branches in the union.
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