So - what's up for change?

Conference Rules OK

The first full Unite Rules Conference is imminent. The cynical might ask "Who knows and who cares". Following the abysmal level of voting at the recent Executive Council elections it would be easy to be despondent, or worse, reconciled to the lack of involvement of the membership.

A small fraction of our membership will be aware that the Rules Conference is happening, and a fraction of that fraction will have access to the agenda or any knowledge of its content.

Nevertheless 189 proposed rule changes are on the agenda: each of which could affect members' rights and responsibilities.

I have previously taken issue with the words attributed to a now-departed senior official
"The majority of our members are not interested in process, in committees and in standing orders"
a self evidently true observation - but one which can lead to contempt for our democracy and undermine the principles on which workers organise.

Much better to return to the joint statement made during the merger negotiations in 2006 -
"lay member democracy will be the foundation of the new union, with the members themselves having the decisive say on all matters that affect them"
- and use the Rules Conference to move towards that ideal, building on the basis created by the Rules Commission and endorsed by the members.



Where are we now?

Trade Union rules draw their strength and legitimacy from being shaped over the years, by the members of a diversity of unions, in response to particular problems faced by particular groups of workers.
That process was, and is, subject to interruption; most significantly from legislative intervention, but also in accommodating mergers and amalgamations, made in response to, but too often in lag of, changes in capitalist organisation.

Bringing two [or more] Rule Books together is not an easy task.
Our Rules Commission did a good job, but they must have found, like their predecessors,that we all cling to the familiar, and the harsh reality that -

"There are nine and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays,"And every single one of them is right!"

was always on the table.

Add to that, a pressing timetable, the impenetrability of antique language and syntax [especially where the lawyers have got at it], and the understandable urge to return to the everyday task of defending the members, and what emerges is necessarily a compromise.
Bargains are struck, explicit or implicit. The seemingly insignificant is discarded, the immediately irreconcilable is consigned to the Executive, and a useable document presented to the members.

What needs changing?
There are 188 other answers to that, but I'll concentrate on the one I know about, the 0349 Branch proposal for a new Rule 12, & hope to comment on some of the others before Rules Conference starts.

Throughout history different unions have adopted different mixtures of direct and representative democracy to ensure that control remains in the hands of the members.
At workplace level proposed bargains with the boss have to be taken back to the members: and employers know that they might be facing a new set of stewards the next time they meet.
Outside of that- a common - and I would argue the best pattern yet devised - are variations of structures with the key elements of -
A periodic, usually annual, large representative assembly, congress or conference, which determines rules and policy and holds to account - a smaller executive body - given custodianship of rules policy and finances between conferences - and empowered to run the union until the next Conference - directing a General Secretary in charge of all employees.
Much of that is extant in the present Rule Book but in a diluted, scattered and elusive way.
For example the previous Amicus Rule 23 declared
"The Policy Conference shall be the supreme policy making body of the Union and its decisions shall be binding on the National Executive Council----"
That unequivocal statement does not feature in the current Unite Rules but could, perhaps, be deduced from this - embedded in the powers allocated to the Executive.
14.9.8 Decide questions of policy which may arise between Policy Conferences and
which have not been decided by a previous decision of such a conference.
I am sure that ex T&G members could dig out examples of what may be accidental dilution.
The proposed new rule 12, from 0349 Branch would entrench our common ideal of "a democratic union controlled by the members, within a culture of lay delegative structures."
It seeks to - simplify our structures [one Conference not two]
- preserve Industrial Sector policy autonomy
- spell out Conference sovereignty & remove unecessary restrictions on what Conference may deal with
- make explicit the requirement for an Executive Council report to Conference.

Here is the proposal in full

"This Rules Conference agrees to delete current rules 12 and 13 and substitute the following new rule 12: and consequentially to substitute "Governing Conference" for both "Policy Conference" and "Rules Conference" throughout the rules of the union.
RULE 12. GOVERNING CONFERENCE
12.1 There shall be a Governing Conference, held every two years, consisting so far as is reasonably practicable of one lay delegate for each two thousand members of the Union. The first Governing Conference shall be convened not later than July 2013 . Only elected lay delegates shall have the right to vote. No member shall be a lay delegate if they are currently employed by the Union.
12.2 The Governing Conference shall have complete control over the policy, the financial affairs and the conduct and management of the Union (except Membership Discipline [Rule27] or Industrial Sector policies [Rule 12.3]). A report shall be submitted to each meeting of the Governing Conference by the Executive Council on its stewardship of the policies, finances and objectives of the Union.
12.3 The Governing Conference shall not deal with matters which are concerned solely with the Union's policy within an Industrial Sector.
12.4 The Executive Council shall determine the number of motions which may be submitted by the Branch; regional; industrial and equalities structures, and from the Executive Council itself.
12.5 Motions to suspend, add to or amend the Rules may be submitted, by the bodies specified in Rule 12.4, to alternate meetings of the Governing Conference (that is, every fourth year, starting in 2015).
12.6 Motions concerning the policy, the financial affairs and the conduct and management of the Union may be submitted to any meeting of the Governing Conference.
12.7 The NEC may also submit to any Governing Conference motions to add to, amend or suspend Rules, as instructed by or arising from a decision of a previous Governing Conference, to meet any changes in law,to ratify any amendment made in exercise of its powers under Rule12.8, or in order to progress integration of the Union.
12.8 If in the opinion of the Executive Council there is an urgent need to amend the rules between Governing Conferences, the Executive Council may amend the rules by a resolution supported by not less than 75% of its members, provided that amendment shall cease to have effect at the end of the next Governing Conference unless it has been ratified by a resolution of that conference.
12.9 Any motion may be approved by a simple majority of those voting.
12.10 The Executive Council shall determine the procedure for nomination, qualification and election of delegates and the constituencies from which they shall be elected.
12.11 The Executive Council shall be in attendance at any Governing Conference, and its members may speak upon but may not vote on any subject.
12.12 Each delegate shall hold office until the next Governing Conference.
12.13 The Governing Conference shall be chaired by the Chair of the Executive Council.
12.14 The Governing Conference may be recalled by the Executive Council in an emergency. It shall deal only with the business for which it is summoned.
12.15 The Executive Council shall draft the standing orders for the Governing Conference. A Standing Orders Committee shall be constituted on the basis of one delegate from each Region, to be elected from among the delegates from each Region under a procedure to be agreed by the Executive Council. No member of the Executive Council shall be eligible to serve on the Standing Orders Committee. The Chair of conference may attend the meetings of the Committee."

A letter to Laurence

Dear Laurence

I have read your blog with interest.

It confirms news reports that you are seeking nominations for the position of Joint General Secretary.

I do not question your right to stand for office, but am not convinced it is either principled or prudent.

I would like you to answer a number of questions.

Who's asking?

A concerned member, 15 years your senior, reluctant to parade battle honours, and hopefully beyond vanity or ambition.

But if my intervention is to be taken seriously, I'm afraid it's a case of "you've shown me yours, so I'll show you mine".

Workplace representative 38 years.
National Executive Member - 24 years.
Chair of Finance Committee - TASS & MSF.
Rules Commission - AEEU MSF merger.
"Left" adherent
Believer in open campaigning rather than conspiracy.

My views on the present turmoil in Unite can be found at
http://yunite.blogspot.com/
and I will be posting this there.

I too am impatient for the speediest possible full implementation of the merger,
but believe that a contest now in an unsought election would be an impediment not a help:
and say

"The best possible outcome would be that the incumbent Joint General Secretary is the sole valid nominee."

Q1 - Do you applaud the complainant's actions including the threat of further legal challenge?

Q2 -Do you accept that, if the complaint were to be upheld, both Joint General Secretaries could be removed from office.

Q3- Do you accept that the arrangement for one General Secretary to extend his term of office by one year, and the other to go a year early, was part of the agreement negotiated between Amicus and the TGWU, and was endorsed by membership ballot.

Q3 - Do you accept that if either Joint General Secretary is acting as an impediment to the implementation of the programme for merger, that the recently elected Executive Council can issue either or both with appropriate instructions.

Q4 - If you are contemplating running for General Secretary Designate, could you reconcile that legitimate ambition with the duty imposed on both Joint General Secretaries “to oversee the election of the General Secretary Designate of the new Union”

I look forward to your response
Bob Hardie

Another stone in the water

Some day I'll get round to putting a caveat in a prominent place.

In the meantime I'm happy to affirm that the ramblings on all my blogs represent my opinions. [At least at the time I wrote them]

When other people's work, or thoughts, or decisions are used I try to acknowledge the source.

Now and again, as in the main thrust of the previous post, I have tried out the ideas with comrades, and can claim a degree of assent.

The polemic is likely to be mine alone.

I used to jest that, with my luck, the final collapse of capitalism would happen the week before I retired. It didn't work out that way, but since then thousands have seen their pensions snatched away. Then, simultaneous with the current world economic crisis - not quite Armageddon but too close for comfort- the left in Unite splits.

The members need a Union that is both effective and accountable.

The merger of Amicus and the T&G could be that if we get it right.

Each grouping will embrace that aim and claim that they are the answer.

Away from the hubbub most activists will acknowledge that people policies and structures are all important .

I've been around long enough to know that which bum is[or on occasion how many bums are] on which seat matters.

But right now who is going to be next General Secretary is not the important question.

Thoughts on the attack from within

An expensive and damaging distraction from the work of your union

In 1971 the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers

was launched on a wave of optimism after a successful campaign under the slogan

“One Union in Engineering”

overcame the craft sectarianism of both white and blue collar workers.

There was near-unanimous support for a venture

which should have been the first step

in eliminating the pointless competition

between competing unions that had been identified as

nine tenths of our weakness in the previous century.

But the AUEW suffered a long slow death in acrimony and litigation.

Significantly one critical legal judgement

hinged on the presence or absence of a comma

in one sentence of the Rule Book.

The prospect, slightly more than 40 years on in January 2012,

of a successfully merged Unite,

with policies, determined by members in Conference,

setting the boundaries for a newly elected Executive Council;

a revised and improved Rule Book, and one General Secretary,

offers the best hope of setting old failures behind us.

Today, with capitalism’s contradictions threatening all our futures,

for anyone to initiate action that will distract lay members,

officers, and staff from responding to the immediate threats

to the livelihoods of thousands of our members is a betrayal.

--------

SO WHAT HAPPENED ?

A complaint by one disaffected member has precipitated an unnecessary election for Joint General Secretary, disrupting the work of the union, and threatening the merger arrangements overwhelmingly endorsed in three ballots.

For the instrument of amalgamation

For the First Executive Council

For the new Rule Book

In particular the timetable for transition to a single Unite General Secretary,

and the interim duties and responsibilities of the Joint General Secretaries

were spelled out in the Schedule to the Instrument voted on in March 2007.

--------------------------------------------

"3.7
The General Secretary of Amicus and the General Secretary of the TGWU at the time of the registration of the Instrument of Amalgamation shall both serve asJoint General Secretaries of the New Union; each additionally being responsible for the section representing their respective predecessor union.

3.7.1

The Joint General Secretary of the Amicus Section will retire on his sixty-sixth birthday in order to provide continuity from the transition period into the new union and, together with the other Joint General Secretary, to oversee the election of the General Secretary Designate of the new Union.[my emphasis]

3.7.2

An election will be held for a General Secretary Designate of the new union, elected by all members of the union, in the last year of the term of office of the Joint General Secretary of the Amicus Section such that the election will be concluded within the last month of that term of office.3.7.3The remaining Joint General Secretary shall retire no more than twelve months after the election of the General Secretary Designate.

3.7.4

Upon the retirement of the last remaining Joint General Secretary, the General Secretary Designate shall assume the post of General Secretary of the new union.

3.7.5

All subsequent elections for the General Secretary shall be on the basis of a ballot of the whole membership of the new union."
------------------------------------------------

The formal documents have at every stage been supplemented by extensive supplementary publicity including a timetable which was a model of clarity.

To imply that members acted in ignorance is either disingenuous or deceitful, and insults their intelligence.

-------------

WHY? OH WHY? OH WHY?

The complainant sees himself as a defender of democracy,

and harbinger of a new society,

but tearing down the temple, as an act of revenge,

demonstrates a blindness more psychological than physical.

When he says

----------

“The enquiry represents a step closer to the prospect of an election for

General Secretary having to be called.

Under the rules of the merger with the TGWU

Joint General Secretary Tony Woodley could be forced to stand down early

and an election held next year for a new General Secretary

for all the 1.9 million members of Unite.”

---- the full extent of his self regarding folly is revealed.

"Mr Simpson’s decision not to show a personal presence "

becomes sufficient justification for wrecking the transitional arrangements

approved by the members.

---------------

HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?

The Executive Council meeting on October 9 was faced with an unenviable dilemma.

They could press ahead with the immediate abolition

of separate Amicus and T&G sections,

and risk a future decision of the Certification Officer.

But this was unlikely before December 2009,

and could then disrupt the merger process

to an unpredictable degree for an indeterminable period.

They chose instead to lance the boil.
A combination of an election for Joint General Secretary

and a time limited delay in implementing the new Rule Book

which abolishes the separate T&G and Amicus sections

was judged the best available method of getting near

to the negotiated package approved by the members.

The immediate future is the hands of Amicus section members.

The best possible outcome would be that the incumbent Joint General Secretary is the sole valid nominee.

That is not an endorsement of every action of JGS Simpson, nor an invitation to align with any of the fissiparous factions, seemingly based on personal ambition, hopes of future preferment, geographical tensions, or a desire to scratch old wounds, emerging in the union.

We offered the members a road map, which they accepted.

We need to get back on route.

Once there the Executive Council should –

- Encourage prospective candidates for General Secretary Designate, to set out their stall and allow us all the time and space to assess their worth.

- Remind themselves and both Joint General Secretaries of the provisions of rule.
-

“The General Secretary shall be under the control of and act in accordance with the directions of the Executive Council.”

LAST THOUGHTS FOR THE AMBITIOUS

The obligation placed on both Joint General Secretaries

“to oversee the election of the General Secretary Designate of the new Union”

would almost certainly make you ineligible to run for the top job in 2010 were you to succeed this time round..

An admonition from the silver screen

o Oliver : What did Betty say?
Stan : Betty said that honesty was the best politics.

Biblical thoughts on the fate of Unite?

And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Unite the union – elective mutism abandoned

A pleasant surprise – hyperlinks to the Final Draft Rules are now available on the home pages of both the Amicus and T&G websites.

Here and here

Maybe the long standing ambitions of the General Secretary

“Unite will establish new methods of communication between members and those that serve them and will encourage the development of new internal structures that reflect the diversity of views and experience that exist in the modern workplace. ---------Easy access for members to the democratic process of the union is vital to the success of a modern representative organisation.”

are finally permeating the apparatus, and the new Unite Website will give accessible and consistent due prominence to the union’s democratic structures.

It is perhaps to much to hope for that the inheritance of designing only for paper will be set aside, and pdf web pages will be outlawed, but the Amicus website could show willing by posting the missing NEC minute for 16 May 2007 and the outstanding 2008 NEC minutes.

Unite the union - the Rule Book?

February 2008

Report on Rules approved by the Rules Commission
following meeting held on 26th February 2008

I
RULE 1. TITLE AND REGISTERED OFFICE 3
RULE 2. OBJECTS 4
RULE 3. MEMBERSHIP 5
RULE 4. MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS and BENEFITS 6
RULE 5. OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS 7
RULE 6. LAY OFFICE 8
RULE 7. INDUSTRIAL/OCCUPATIONAL /PROFESSIONAL SECTORS 9
RULE 8. REGIONS 10
RULE 9. YOUNG MEMBERS 11
RULE 10. MEMBERS IN RETIREMENT 12
RULE 11. EQUALITIES 13
RULE 12. POLICY CONFERENCE 14
RULE 13. RULES AMENDMENT 15
RULE 14. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 16
RULE 15. GENERAL SECRETARY AND JOINT GENERAL SECRETARIES 19
RULE 16. ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL
SECRETARY 21
RULE 17. BRANCHES 24
RULE 18. WORKPLACE REPRESENTATION 26
1
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February 2008
RULE 19. FUNDS 27
RULE 20. ASSETS AND TRUSTEE PROVISION 28
RULE 21. EXPENSES 29
RULE 22. POLITICAL ORGANISATION. -- THE LABOUR PARTY 30
RULE 23. POLITICAL FUND 31
RULE 24. NORTHERN IRELAND POLITICAL FUND 35
RULE 25. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND POLITICAL FUND 37
RULE 26. IRELAND 38
RULE 27. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND — STRIKES AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL ACTION 40
RULE 28. ISLE OF MAN 41
RULE 29. MEMBERSHIP DISCIPLINE 42
RULE 30. OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 44
RULE 31. VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION 45
RULE 32. TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS FOR SUPERANNUATION SCHEMES 46

2
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February 2008
RULE 1. TITLE AND REGISTERED OFFICE

1. The Union formed under these rules (hereinafter called the Union) shall be known by the title of “Unite the Union”.

2. This Rule Book applies equally to all members of Unite the Union, and represents the entirety of the rules applicable to members of this union, save as explicitly provided for under this Rule Book.

3. The Registered Office of the UnIon shall be Transport House, 128 Theobalds Road, London WCI X 8TN and 35 King Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JG or such other place as may be decided upon by the Executive Council.

3

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February 2008
RULE 2. OBJECTS

1. The objects of the Union shall, so far as may be lawful, be:
1.1. To organise, recruit and represent workers.
1.2. To defend and improve its members’ wages and working conditions including the pursuit of equal pay for work of equal value.
1.3. To defend and improve the social and economic well-being of members and their families, both directly and via commensurate policies in relation to society both domestically and abroad.
1.4. To further political objectives including by affiliation to the Labour Party.
1.5. To promote equality and fairness for all, including actively opposing prejudice and discrimination on grounds of gender race, ethnic origin, religion, class, marital status, sexual orientation or identity, age or disability.
1.6. To affiliate to the TUG, ICTU, Welsh and Scottish TUCs and other appropriate trade union cooperation/coordination bodies domestically and internationally.
1.7. To promote constructive cooperation between trade unions internationally to further the interests of members of the Union and those in other unions in dealing with the direct and indirect impact of globalisation.
1.8. To promote education and training; both vocational and industrial and otherwise as conducive to these objects.
1.9. To provide such financial and other benefits and legal assistance to members as may be specified in these rules.
1.10. To do all such other things as may in the opinion of the Executive Council be incidental or conducive to the attainment of these objects.

4

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February 2008
RULE 3. MEMBERSHIP

1. Where the Union organises or represents persons engaged in an occupation or seeks to do so, any person engaged in that occupation shall be eligible for membership of the Union, subject to the Rules and Objects of this union.

2. There shall be a category of membership for those members who are unable to follow employment because of retirement or permanent disablement. The Executive Council shall determine the qualifications for membership of this category as well as the level of contributions and entitlement to benefit. Such membership shall not accord an entitlement to vote in any Union ballot other than those in which all members must by statute, be accorded an unconditional entitlement to vote.

3. Any eligible person may apply for membership by completing the appropriate application form agreeing to be bound by the rules of the Union and submitting it to to the Union office or by electronic means as may be provided for via the Union’s website. An applicant shall become a member when his/her application has been approved and he/she has been entered into on the register of members. Such approval process may require receipt by the union of the contribution applicable under these rules.

4. Each member must notify the Union’s membership department of any subsequent change of address, and in the absence of such notice the Union shall be entitled to treat the address shown on that member’s application form as the member’s address for all correspondence.

5. Each member must notify the Union’s membership department of any subsequent change of workplace or contribution category status.

6. If an applicant has previously been a member of the Union (or any of its predecessors), the Executive Council may, as a condition of re-admission, require the applicant to repay some or all of any monies owed by the applicant to the Union.

7. The Executive Council may reject an application if in its opinion the conduct of the applicant has at any time been such as would justify a disciplinary charge under these rules against a member of the Union who behaved in a similar fashion.

8. Any period of continuous membership of a predecessor union at the point of amalgamation or transfer will count as continuous membership of Unite the Union for the purposes of these rules.

5

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February 2008
RULE 4. MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS and BENEFITS


1. The Executive Council shall determine any period of membership necessary prior to the member attaining elegibility for benefits, and any period of monies owed by the member which, shall remove such elegibiity.

2. The Executive Council shall define the categories of membership and the level of contributions.

3. The Executive Council will determine the scope and payment of benefits shall be determined by the Executive Council.

4. The Union shall pay dispute benefit on terms to be decIded by the Executive Council from time to time.

5. The Union will provide legal assistance, as follows:
5.1. A member who is entitled to benefit who suffers injury or disease arising out of or in connection with his/her employment (or the dependants of such a member who has died) shall be entitled to such legal advice and representation and on such terms as the ExecutIve Council may consider appropriate.
5.2. A member seeking legal assistance must ensure that a request In the appropriate form Is lodged at the appropriate Union office in sufficient time and with sufficient information to enable the request to be considered and appropriate action taken.
5.3. A member who requires advice and/or representation on a problem relating to the member’s employment which first arose at a time when the member was entitled to benefit and which cannot be resolved through the member’s workplace representative should refer the matter to the appropriate Regional Officer. The Union shall provide such advice and/or representation whether by a full time officer or otherwise and on such terms as the Executive Council shall consider appropriate.
5.4. The Executive Council may provide such additional legal advice and representation to members and to members’ families as it may consider appropriate.
5.5. The Executive Council may extend legal assistance to a member who is not otherwise entitled to benefits.
5.6. A member who is given advice and/or representation under this rule shall provide all relevant information and co-operate fully with the compilation of evidence for any legal proceedings. If a member fails to do so or provides false or misleading information or fails to act upon the advice of those appointed to represent him/her, the Executive Council may at its absolute discretion annul all legal assistance or withdraw any further legal assistance to that member.

6. The Executive Council shall have discretion to provide additional benefits.


6
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February 2008
RULE 5. OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS

1. A member of the Union must comply with these rules and with any duty or obligation imposed on that member by or pursuant to these rules whether in his/her capacity as a member, a holder of a lay office or as a full time officer.

2. A member must not knowingly, recklessly or in bad faith provide the Union with false or misleading information relating to a member or any other aspect of the Union’s activities.

3. A motion shall not be submitted by or on behalf of the Union or any group or body within the Union to an organisation or body outside the Union if that motion is inconsistent with existing Union policy.

4. When acting as a representative of the Union at a meeting of an organisation or body outside the Union a member shall speak and vote in accordance with the policy of the Union and with any decision taken by the Union’s representatives at that meeting which is consistent with the Union’s policy.

7
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February 2008

RULE 6. LAY OFFICE

1. The Executive Council shall make provision to ensure accountability of Regional and Industrial Executive Committee members and those Executive Committee members elected pursuant to Rule 6, meeting with their respective committees at least four times per year.

2. In order to be eligible to be a candidate for election for, or hold office on, the Executive Council and/or any constitutional committee, the member in question must be an accountable representative of workers.

3. The definition of such a term shall be in the exclusive power of the lay Executive Council, which is empowered to take into account changing industrial realities and the unique nature of some industries e.g. (construction, contracting, leisure, rural etc) in formulating such a definition. It must nevertheless include branch office-holders who are in employment, shop stewards, health & safety and equalities representatives.

4. it is further required that a fair procedure be developed by the Executive Council to deal sympathetically with cases where a members’ eligibility to stand for election or continue to hold office may be affected by employer victimisation.

5. The electoral period to hold lay office shall be two years unless otherwise provided for under these rules.

8
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February 2008
RULE 7. INDUSTRIAL/OCCUPATIONAL /PROFESSIONAL SECTORS

Note supplementary for JEC

The Executive Council anticipates agreeing a list of Unite national industrial sectors, with the status and powers as provided for in this rule, in May 2008 following consultation in the existing industrial structures of both sections. If agreed, the EC will append such a list to the rules when they are submitted to the membership in a ballot for approval, and will preface the list with the following: “The Executive Council shall decide, and may alter, the number and description of the sectors provided that when these rules first come In to force the sectors shall lncIude:”.

1. Members in employment will be allocated to the industrial sector in which they are employed. The term industrial sector’ is a generic term including occupation, and professional sectors in addition to traditional industrial sectors.

2. There shall be organisation and representation of union members at both regional and national level by reference to their industrial, occupational or professional sector.

3. These industrial sections shall be determined by the Executive Council, which shall have the right to amalgamate existing sections and to create new sections as seems expedient on the basis of industrial logic and developing patterns of membership organisation.

4. Each industrial sector will be led by a national industrial committee, to be elected from the appropriate regional industrial committees in such proportion, as may be determined by the Executive Council. The Executive Council shall have the power to determine additional special constituencies (which may be on a national basis) where they deem it necessary in light of the particular industrial circumstances of the sector.

5. National Industrial Committees shall enjoy full autonomy in the conduct of their own proper industrial business.

6. Each sector will hold a national conference, on the basis of delegates elected from amongst the membership in that sector, once every two years to determine its own industrial policies provided that they are not inconsistent with the general policy and objectives of the union.

7. Each national industrial sector shall, where practicable, be divided into regional industrial sectors, in conformity with the territorial regions of the union. There shall be a regional industrial sector committee in each region where a regional industrial sector is established elected in such proportion as may be determined by the Executive Council, to reflect branch and workplace organisation.

8. Members employed in managerial, professional, supervisory, technical and/or clerical grades may, where appropriate, be organised and represented separately from other members in the same sector.

9. The Executive Council shall constitute special sub-sectors and/or advisory committees of industrial sectors as may seem expedient~ on the basis of company or occupation, and will have discretion to maintain the autonomy of specific craft or professional groupings which may not have the status of industrial committees.

9

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February 2008
RULE 8. REGIONS

1. For the purpose of regional administration the Union shall constitute regions for Ireland, Scotland and Wales with England divided into 7 regions on the basis of Regional Development Agency boundaries (as at 1St January 2006) as follows:
• North West;
• North East, Yorkshire and Humberside;
• West Midlands;
• East Midlands;
• South West;
• South East; and
• London and Eastern

2. Each region will have a Regional Committee of lay members elected from the regional industrial committees, area activists committees where established, and as otherwise provided for by these rules in such proportion, as may be determined by the Executive Council.

3. The Regional Committees shall have responsibility for the management of the Union’s affairs in their regions in conformity with decisions of the Executive Council and responsible to it.

4. The Regional Committees will have their own funds not exceeding 1% of the membership income attributable to members within that region. They will be responsible for the affiliation of union organisations to Trades Councils and appropriate public bodies within their region.

5. Regions will constitute Area Activists meetings between activists in different companies, sectors and branches, across geographical areas within a region, subject to the approval of the Executive Council. These meetings will elect area activists committees, the size and composition of which being determined by the respective Regional Committee.

6. The Regional Committee will meet once a quarter or more frequently if, In the opinion of the Regional Secretary, the business renders it necessary. The Regional Secretary is responsible for convening all meetings.

7. The Regional Committee shall have power to appoint one or more sub-committees from among its members and, except where otherwise determined by the Executive Council, shall have the power to delegate to any such sub-committee all or any of its powers including therein the conduct of hearings, appeals, inquiries, investigations or any other proceedings or functions whatever which it is authorised by these Rules to undertake.

10
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February 2008
RULE 9. YOUNG MEMBERS

1. In each region there will be a young members’ forum open to all members up to and including the age of 27 in that region. Each regional forum will elect one observer delegate to the Regional Council.

2. The purpose of the structure will be to advocate the interests of young workers, cementing links with youth organizations both within the labour movement and beyond to promote to such relevant policies provided that they are not Inconsistent with the general policy and objectives of the union.

3. There shall be conferences in each region every two years for young members. The Regional Secretary will be responsible for convening these conferences.

4. There shall be a Young Members Regional Committee elected from branches, regional industrial committees and area activists committees where established in such proportion, as may be determined from time to time by the Executive Council.

5. There shall be a national conference every two years for young members which the Executive Council will be responsible for convening.

6. There shall be a Young Members National Committee elected from each Young Members Regional Committee in such proportion, as may be determined from time to time by the Executive Council.

11

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February 2008
RULE 10. MEMBERS IN RETIREMENT

I There shall be established an association for Retired Members which will be supported by the Union in manner determined from time to time by Executive CounciL

2 The Retired Members Association (hereafter RMA) shall promote the interests of all senior citizens by working with other bodies involved with the retired, cementing links with the Union and ensuring its support both within the union and beyond. The RMA shall harness the support of members in retirement in promoting the Unions political and campaigning objectives.

3 The RMA shall have regional RMA branches and a National Committee of the RMA. Standing Orders for these branches and National Committee shall be determined by the Executive Council.

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RULE 11. EQUALITIES

1. The Union will strive to have elected equalities representatives recognized and active in all workplaces arid who participate in the work of the Union’s industrial structure.

2. All constitutional conferences and committees of the Union shall have a gender and ethnic balance of elected representatives at least reflecting the proportion of the black/ethnic minority and female membership which they represent. The Executive Council shall ensure the implementation of this rule and shall report on its implementation to the Policy Conference of the Union.

3. There shall be separate conferences in each region every two years for women members; black, Asian and ethnic minority members; disabled members; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members. The Regional Secretary will be responsible for convening these conferences.

4. There shall be Regional Committees for women members; black, Asian and ethnic minority members; disabled members; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members, elected from the regional industrial committees and area activists committees where established in such proportion, as may be determined by the Executive Council. These committees will each elect a delegate to their respective Regional Committee of the Union as a whole.

5. There shall be separate national conferences every two years for women members; black, Asian and ethnic minority members; disabled members; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members. The Executive Council will be responsible for convening these conferences.

6. There shall be National Committees for women members; black, Asian and ethnic minority members; disabled members; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members, elected from the respective regional committees for each section in such proportion, as may be determined by the Executive Council.

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RULE 12. POLICY CONFERENCE

1. The supreme policy making body of the Union will be a Policy Conference held every two years consisting so far as is reasonably practicable of one lay delegate for each two thousand members of the Union. The first Policy Conference will be convened within one year following the adoption of the new rules. Only elected lay delegates shall have the right to vote. No member shall be a lay delegate if they are currently employed by the union.

2. Motions to the Policy Conference will be confined to the general policies of the Union and will not deal with matters relatIng to the Interpretation or amendment of rule or which are concerned solely with the Union’s policy within an industrial, occupational or professional Sector.

3. The Executive Council will determine the procedure for nomination, qualification and election of delegates.

4. The Executive Council will be in attendance at any Policy Conference, and its representatives may speak upon but will not vote on any subject.

5. Each delegate will hold office until the next Policy Conference.

6. The Executive Council will determine the number of policy motions which may be submitted by the branch; regional; industrial and equalities structures, and from the Executive CouncIl Itself.

7. The Policy Conference will be chaired by the Chair of the Executive Council.

8. The Policy Conference may be recalled by the Executive Council in an emergency. It shall only deal with the business for which it is summoned.

9. The Executive Council will draft the standing orders for the Policy Conference. A Standing Orders Committee shall be constituted on the basis of one delegate from each region, to be elected from among the delegates from each region under a procedure to be agreed by the Executive Council.
No member of the Executive Council shall be eligible to serve on the Standing Orders Committee.
The Chair of conference may attend the meetings of the Committee.

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RULE 13. RULES AMENDMENT

1. For the revision of the rules and constitution of the Union there will be a Rules Conference which will meet in every fourth year commencing with the year immediately following the first Policy Conference. No member shall be a lay delegate if they are currently employed by the union.

2. The Rules Conference will consist so far as is reasonably practicable of one lay delegate for each four thousand members of the Union.

3. Amendments to rule may be approved by a simple majority of those voting. Only elected lay delegates will have the right to vote.

4. The Executive Council shall be entitled to submit motions and amendments to motions to amend the rules to a Rules Conference and if an urgent issue arises it may do so at short notice.

5. If in the opinion of the Executive Council there is an urgent need to amend the rules between Rules Conferences, the Executive Council may amend the rules by a resolution supported by not less than 75% of its members, provided that amendment shall cease to have effect at the end of the next Rules Conference unless It has been ratified by a resolution of that conference.

6. The Executive Council will determine the procedure for nomination, qualification and election of delegates.

7. The Executive Council will be in attendance at any Rules Conference, and its representatives may speak upon but will not vote on any subject.

8. Each delegate will hold office until the next Rules Conference.

9. The Executive Council will determine the number of rules motions which may be submitted by from the branch; regional; industrial and equalities structures, and from the Executive Council itself.

10. The Rules Conference will be chaired by the Chair of the Executive Council.

11. The Rules Conference may be recalled by the Executive Council in an emergency. It shall only deal with the business for which it is summoned.

12. The Executive Council will draft the standing orders for the Rules Conference. A Standing Orders Committee shall be constituted on the basis of one delegate from each region, to be elected from among the delegates from each region under a procedure to be agreed by the Executive Council.
No member of the Executive Council shall be eligible to serve on the Standing Orders Committee.
The Chair of conference may attend the meetings of the Committee.

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RULE 14. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

1. The First Executive Council
1.1. The first Executive Council of Unite the Union will hold office for 3 years. The first Executive Council Will make its decisions on the basis of a simple majority of those present, except where otherwise required under these rules, or when either or both of the Joint General Secretaries (respectively acting on the authority of a majority of the Executive Council elected by a from their predecessor section) believe that an issue is so fundamental to the Union that a majority of not less than 75% of those voting will be required.

1.2. If a member of the first Executive Council should cease to hold that office for any reason there will be a by-election to fill the vacant position. Where the vacancy arises at least 2 years in to the term of that Executive Council, the members of the Executive elected from the same predecessor section as that in which the vacancy arose, will have discretion as to whether to fill that vacancy.

2. Election of the Executive Council
2.1. The election of the Executive Council will be on the basis of representatives from the union’s regional structure, representatives from the union’s national industrial sections and national representatives of the union’s women and black/ethnic minorIty membership.
2.2. Elections to the Executive Council will be conducted in conformity with guidance issued by the Executive Council from time to time.
2.3. Nothing in this rule will govern the election of the first Executive Council of Unite the Union, which will have been elected in accordance with the provisions of the Instrument of Amalgamation and its appended General Rules.

3. For subsequent elections the Executive Council shall be required to submit to the first Rules Conference proposed rules. These Rules shall provide for:­
3.1. Election to the Executive Council shall be on the basis of electoral constituencies determined by the Executive Council. These constituencies shall ensure fair and equitable representation of the working membership on the Executive Council and shall include provision for representatives to be elected from the regions as constituted in the Union proportionate to their membership, and for representatives to be elected from the industrial structure of the Union proportionate to their membership.
3.2. The Executive Council shall have the power to combine industrial sectors for the purpose of determining electoral constituencies for the Executive Council election.
3.3. The Executive Council shall also provide for national representatives for women and for black/ethnic minority members to sit on the Executive Council.
3.4. The Executive Council of the Union will include designated seats within the electoral constituencies to ensure the proportionate representation of women members and of black, Asian and ethnic minority members
3.5. The term of office for the Executive Council shall be three years.
3.6. No current or former employee of the union, nor any current employee of any other union, is eligible to stand for, or hold office on, the Executive Council.

4. The Executive Council shall meet at least six times a year. A special meeting of the Executive Council may be called when the Joint General Secretaries deem it necessary.

5. Members of the Executive Council who do not attend two consecutive meetings to which they are summoned, without a written explanation of their absence being provided to the General Secretary, may be removed from office by the Executive Council if it is of the opinion the explanation is not satisfactory. The Executive Council will determine the guidance on the application of this Rule.
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6. The Executive Council will elect a Finance and General Purposes Committee. The Executive Council will determine the number of members thereof. This committee shall meet not less than six times a year. This Committee shall also act as an emergency committee, and the Executive Council shall delegate to such Committee all or any of its powers as it may determine, and may modify or revoke such powers.

7. At the first meeting of the Executive Council following its election there will be appointed by and from the members a Chair. The Executive Committee will have the power to remove and replace its Chair at anytime, and to appoint one or more Vice Chairs for such business and period as it deems fit from time to time.

8. The Chair shall preside over all Executive Council meetings, see that the business is properly conducted, and sign the minutes of each meeting when passed. The Chair shall also preside at the Biennial Policy Conference, the Rules Conference, the Finance and General Purposes Committee and in addition shall be a delegate to the Trades Union Congress and Annual Conference of the Labour Party (where appropriate) held during their term of office, and to such other conferences as the Executive Council may determine.

9. The Government, management and control of the Union shall be vested in the Executive Council collectively, which may do such things consistent with the rules and objects of the Union as it may consider expedient to promote the interests of the Union or any of its members. In particular and without limiting the general powers conferred on it by these rules the Executive Council shall have the power to:

9.1. Ensure that properly prepared management accounts and annual statements of account relating to all financial affairs of the Union are presented at its regular meetings, and it may call for the production of any book, vouchers, or documents.
9.2. Direct that special audits or examinations of the books or finances of any part of the union shall be made by special auditors appointed by the Council.
9.3. Appoint and remove the Union’s auditor for which purpose the members of the Executive Council shall act as the delegates of the members by whom they were elected.
9.4. Appoint all officers who are employed as such by the Union (who shall have been paying members of this Union for at least two years immediately preceding the date of application) other than the General Secretary. The promotion of individual officers (up to but excluding the level of General Secretary) and the allocation/reallocation of officer roles shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Council in each case.
9.5. Consider all appeals and resolutions addressed to it, subject to where it deems appropriate the Council shall have the power to refer such appeals and references to Regional or Industrial Sector Committees.
9.6. RequIre reports to be submitted to it of all disputes, and shall take such action with regard thereto as it shall deem fit.
9.7. Raise or borrow money on any of the properties or securities of the Union by way of mortgage or otherwise in such manner as they shall think fit.
9.8. Decide questions of policy which may arise between Policy Conferences and which have not been decIded by a previous decision of such a conference.
9.9. Send delegates or deputations to represent the Union, and to delegate power to any person to act on behalf of the union for any purpose.
9.10. Sanction payment of benefit in respect of any strike and in respect of any lockout.
9.11. Expend moneys on any of the purposes authorised by these rules, or on any other purpose which, in their opinion, Is expedient in the Interests of the Union or Its members, Including, at its discretion, the provision of legal services to members, ( and where it additionally and severably sees fit, to member’s families,) and the taking and defending of legal action by the union.
9.12. Suspend, or impose any other penalty on any Branch or such reasons and on such terms as they deem expedient and their decisions, save as herein provided, shall be final and conclusive for all purposes provided that every Branch Region or other administrative

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section shall have the right within 14 days, of the date of notification of the decision of the Executive Council to give notice of appeal, and until the hearing of such appeal the decision of the CounciI shall be binding.
9.13. Delegate to any committee constituted under these Rules such of their powers as are necessary or expedient and consistent with the powers and duties of such committee as in these rules provided, and may modify or revoke such powers from time to time.
9.14. Provide training for lay representatives1 activists and its employees.
9.15. Decide its own Standing Orders and procedures in all matters not expressly provided for in these rules.
9.16. Decide any question relating to the meaning and the interpretation of these rules or any matter not expressly provided for by these rules which decision shall be binding on all members of the Union.

10. Recognlslng the central importance of the organisation of workers in to the Union the Executive Council will devote no less than five per cent of membership income to organising each year and will aim to move to no less than ten per cent within no less than three years of amalgamation.
Organising units shall be maintained by these funds in each Region and shall be controlled by a national organising department under the control of the General Secretary.

11. In addition to any express powers in these rules provided, the Executive Council shall have power generally to carry on the business of the Union, as they may deem necessary, and do such things and authorise such acts, including the payment of moneys, on behalf of the Union, as they, in the general interests of the Union, may deem expedient, and to delegate to any person or persons the power to represent and to act on behalf of the Union. Between Executive Council meetings the
Executive Council’s powers under clause 9 above are delegated to the General Secretary save the following:

11.1 regarding appeals and resolutions
11.2. regarding delegation of powers from the Executive to any committee
11.3. regarding Executive Council procedures

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RULE 15. GENERAL SECRETARY AND JOINT GENERAL SECRETARIES..

1. The General Secretary of Amicus and the General Secretary of the TGWU at the time of the registration of the Instrument of Amalgamation shall both serve as Joint General Secretaries of the Union. All references in these rules to ‘the General Secretary’ shall apply to the Joint General Secretaries together, unless otherwise specified in these rules and until such time as one of them ceases to hold office, leaving a single General Secretary.

2. The Joint General Secretary formerly of the Amicus Section shall be entitled to remain in office until retirement on 23 December 2010. If at the date the said Joint General Secretary’s elected term of office would otherwise expire, he has been a full time employee of Unite and any of its predecessor unions for 10 years (whether or not continuous) and is within 5 years of retirement age, he shall be entitled to continue in office until retirement age without further election.

3. An election will be held for a General Secretary of the Union, elected by all members of the Union, in the last twelve months during which the Joint General Secretary formerly of the Amicus Section holds office so that the election will be concluded within the last month of that twelve month period. In the event of this being impossible, such election will be concluded as soon as possible after the Joint General Secretary formerly of the Amicus Section has ceased to hold office. The General Secretary elected pursuant to this clause shall hold office as General Secretary Designate until the last remaining Joint General Secretary ceases to hold the office of General Secretary (as defined by these rules).

4. The last remaining Joint General Secretary shall retire no more than twelve months after the date on which the Joint General Secretary formerly of the Amicus Section leaves office and shall be entitled to continue in office without re-election until twelve months after the Joint General Secretary formerly of the Amicus Section has left office.

5. Immediately upon the last remaining Joint General Secretary ceasing to hold office, the General Secretary Designate shall assume the post of General Secretary of the Union.

6. All subsequent elections for the General Secretary shall be on the basis of a ballot of the whole membership of the Union.

7. All subsequent General Secretaries shall be entitled to hold their position without re-election where he or she would otherwise reach their retirement age within 5 years of any such election. In all other cases the General Secretary shall not hold office without reelection for more than 5 years from the last day on which the votes were cast in his/her previous election.

8. The General Secretary shall be responsible for the administration of the affairs of the Union; including convening the meetings and implementing the decisions of the Executive Council, and such other duties as may be determined by the Executive Council.

9. All employees of the Union shall be under ultimate control of the Executive Council whose approval shall be required before changing their terms and conditions of employment or superannuation arrangements. Subject to that ultimate control the General Secretary shall be responsible for managing all employees of the Union who, subject to their terms and conditions of employment, shall perform such duties and work from such locations as the General Secretary may direct.

10. The General Secretary shall be under the control of and act in accordance with the directions of the Executive Council.

11. The General Secretary may delegate to an employee of the Union such of the General Secretary’s responsibility as the General Secretary may consider appropriate.

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12. The General Secretary shall be entitled to attend all meetings of the Union and to take part in their deliberations but shalI not have a vote.

13. Unless otherwise provided for by these rules, the retirement age for the General Secretary will be 65.
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RULE 16 ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL SECRETARY

1. Subject to the provisions of these rules and the powers of the independent scrutineer, the election of members of the Executive Council and the General Secretary shall be organised and conducted in accordance with the directions of the Executive Council

2. The Executive Council shall appoint an independent scrutineer to supervise the production, storage and distribution of voting papers, to receive and count the voting papers, to report on the election, to retain the voting papers for an appropriate period and to perform such other duties as the Executive Council may specify.

3. The Executive Council shall appoint a suitable, independent person to act as Election Commissioner to adjudicate on any complaints made under clause (23) of this rule relating to the conduct of the election.

4. The Executive Council shall appoint a Returning Officer to deal with the conduct of the election between the Executive Council meetings and may delegate to him/her its powers relating to the conduct of that election provided that the Returning Officer shall not act inconsistently with any decision of the Executive Council and shall report to the next meeting of the Executive Council all actions taken and decisions made in respect of that election.

5. A candidate in an election shall play no part in any deliberations of or decision by the Executive Council which relates specifically to the conduct of an election in the constituency in which an individual is a candidate.

6. Executive Council candidates for election to represent a region shall be nominated by at least three branches within that region or that part of a region as the case may be. A Branch shall only be entitled to make such number of nominations as there are members to be elected from that region or part thereof.

7. Executive Council candidates for election to represent a particular Industrial Sector constituency shall be nominated by Branches and workplaces consisting of members of the particular Industrial Sector constituency concerned.

8. In every case no nomination will be valid unless a meeting of the branch, or workplace, has been convened and that nomination has been endorsed by the meeting. The Executive Council guidance will state whether and how a nomination may be made by a workplace, or branch (in relation to industrial sector seats).

9. A member is requIred to receIve at least three nominations. On receipt of such nominations the candidate shaIl be invited to confirm in writing that she/he accepts the nomination. Each member who does so and who is otherwise eligible shall be a candidate in the election for that constituency.

10. Executive Council candidates for election to represent a constituency under any equalities provision of these rules shall be nominated by Branches and workplaces within the particular constituency concerned.

11. Executive Council Candidates must be a member of the electoral constituency they wish to represent.

12. Candidates for election of General Secretary nominations may be made by each branch and each
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workplace . A candidate must be eligible to vote in the election; have at least 10 years continuous membership of the union; and have received nominations from (The JGSs are considering a recommendation to the JEC on a minimum number of nominations and where they come from.)

13. If the number of candidates does not exceed the number of vacancies to be filled by that constituency, the candidate(s) shall be declared elected. If there are more candidates than vacancies, the election shall be conducted by a secret postal ballot.

14. The election shall not be concluded until the Executive Council has received the independent scrutineer’s report and declared which candidate(s) has been elected. This should take place as soon as reasonably practicable after the votes have been counted. If the Election Commissioner advises the Executive Council that it should not declare the outcome of an election until he/she has adjudicated on a complaint, it shall comply with that request.

15. The Executive Council may decide that members who have joined the Union after a prescribed date shall not be eligible to vote, provided the date shall not be more than 13 weeks before the first day on which voting is due to take place in that election.

16. Members of a territorial region shall be accorded equally an entitlement to vote in the election for a representative from their own territorial region (but no other territorial region) to the Executive Council. A member’s region for the purposes of this rule will be the region to which their branch is allocated by the Executive Council. In the case of branches covering more than one region the method of establishing a member’s individual region will be determined by the Executive Council.

17. Members of a particular National Industrial Sector shall be accorded equally an entitlement to vote in the election for a representative from their own National Industrial Sector Constituency (but no other National Industrial Sector Constituency) to the Executive Council.

18. In relation to the election of the National Representative(s) for Women Members; members who are women shall be accorded equally an entitlement to stand and vote.

19. In relation to the election of the National Representative(s) for Black or Asian ethnic minority Members; members who are Black or Asian ethnic minority members will be accorded equally an entitlement to stand and vote.

20. In relation to clauses 18 and 19 above, the Union shall rely on its membership records and shall endeavour to collect and record such relevant information, but shall be entitled to make a presumption of non-entitlement to vote in such election where there is an absence of the relevant qualification information.

21. A member who is eligible to vote in an election who does not receive a voting paper should contact the Union but the final decision on whether to issue a further voting paper to that member shall be a matter for the independent scrutineer.

22. Each candidate shall be entitled to attend as an observer the counting of the votes from the constituency in which he/she is a candidate.

23. If at any stage during an election or within 28 days of the declaration of the outcome a candidate in an election or the Executive Council considers that there has been a breach of these rules or of any other legal requirement relating to the conduct of the election or any other interference with the conduct of the election and that the breach or interference may materially affect or may have materially affected the outcome of the election; he/she or the Executive Council may submit a complaint to the Election Commissioner.

24. If the Returning Officer or a member who is not a candidate considers that there are grounds for a

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complaint to the Election Commissioner, he/she should refer the matter to the Executive Council.

25. A complaint to the Election Commissioner should be made as soon as is reasonably practicable. The Election Commissioner shall not consider any complaint made more than 28 days after the date on which the Executive Council declared the outcome of the election.

26. A complaint to the Election Commissioner shall be made in writing addressed to the Election Commissioner care of the Returning Officer and accompanied by all the supporting evidence which the complainant wishes to be taken into account.

27. If when the Election Commissioner receives a complaint the independent scrutineer has not yet reported on the election and the Election Commissioner considers that the complaint raises matters which fall within the jurisdiction of the independent scrutineer, he/she shall refer the complaint (or the part thereof which raise such matters) to the independent scrutineer unless it is not reasonably practicable to do so. When the Election Commissioner has referred a complaint (or part thereof) to the independent scrutineer he/she shall not adjudicate on the complaint until the independent scrutineer has expressed a view on that complaint.

28. The Election Commissioner may adjudicate on a complaint on the basis of written material submitted with the complaint or, at his/her complete discretion, call for such further information as he/she shall think fit and/or conduct a hearing of the complaint. Subject to the provisions of this rule, the Election Commissioner shall decide his/her own procedures for investigating and adjudicating upon the complaint provided that he/she shall endeavour to adjudicate on the complaint as quickly as is reasonable practicable.

29. If after considering a complaint the Election Commissioner considers; that there has been a material breach of these rules or of any other legal requirement relating to the conduct of the election or any other material interference with the conduct of the election; and that the breach or interference may materially affect or has or may have materially affected the outcome of the election; the Election Commissioner may recommend that the Executive Council should take one or more of the following measures:­

29.1. Declare the ballot and, if it has been declared, the outcome of the election void and call for a fresh ballot to be held;
29.2. Disqualify a candidate or candidates and permit the remaining candidates to go forward in the ballot or in any fresh ballot that may be ordered; or
29.3. Such other remedial measures as the Election Commissioner considers appropriate.

30. Subject always to any decision to the contrary by a court, the Certification Officer or any other lawful authority, the Executive Council shall give effect to any recommendation by the Election Commissioner made in accordance with clause (29) of this rule.

31. If an election is delayed as a result of action taken pursuant to a recommendation by the Election Commissioner, an order of a court, the Certification Officer or other lawful authority, a member who holds the office which is the subject of that election shall be entitled to continue in that office until the election is concluded.

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RULE 17. BRANCHES

1. Wherever possible, branches will be based on the workplace, although provision will also be made for local branches and national industrial branches as appropriate and as approved by the Executive Council.

2. Branch membership shall be allocated on the basis of workplace if there is a workplace branch at the member’s workplace; or the nearest local branch if there is not a workplace or national branch.

3. Branches will have direct access to a proportion of membership subscriptions. Such a proportion and access arrangements to be determined by the Executive Council, and may be conditional on performed compliance with financial reporting requirements. These funds may be used to meet the cost of administering the branch; for recruitment and other campaigns approved by the Executive Council; for local affiliations; to assist members or their dependants who have suffered misfortune; or for any other worthy cause, subject to any provisions elsewhere in these rules, and that no general purposes funds shall be used for political objects. Any payments made in connection with any form of industrial action must be made strictly in line with Executive Council guidance applicable at the time.

4. All the books and effects of the branch shall be the property of the Union and shall on request by the Executive Council be produced for inspection and audit. In the event of the closure, merger or dissolution of the branch, those books and effects shall be dealt with as directed by the Regional Committee subject to the overall control of the Executive Council.

5. The Regional Committee shall be required to ensure that each branch meets at regular intervals and operates in accordance with the standing orders provided for in dause 10 of this rule. Where a branch fails to convene an Annual General Meeting of all members that branch will be suspended and members of the branch shall be allocated to a branch which meets subject to the right of the branch to appeal to the Executive Council.

6. Where deemed desirable for organisational and/or administrative reasons the Regional Committee will shall be empowered to merge branches; which shall be implemented in the event of approval by the Executive Council.

7. Each Branch shall have for its management a Chair, a Treasurer end a Secretary and such other officers as the branch may elect. They shall be elected at a Branch meeting by show of hands, or by ballot, if so decided by the meeting. The election shall take place and be completed not later than December 31 in each alternate year, and the elected candidates shall take office the following January for two years. Casual vacancies may be filled at an ordinary Branch meeting, but notice of the impending election must be given to members of the Branch on the notice convening the meeting. The positions of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same member if the branch so chooses.

8. Each branch shall meet once each month at a designated meeting time and place. New members will be notified of that time and place. A branch which immediately prior to these rules coming in to force met at a frequency other than once each month may continue to do so. A branch may decide to change its meeting time or place or the frequency of Its meetings provided it obtains the Regional Committee’s consent before implementing that change. If the Regional Committee rejects the change, the branch may appeal in writing to the Executive Council whose decision shall be final.

9. When there is an urgent need to deal with branch business before the next scheduled meeting, the branch officers may with the consent of the Regional Committee summon a special meeting of the branch by in the case of a workplace branch giving 7 days’ notice of the meeting on union notice boards at the workplace and in all other cases by sending a written notice of the meeting to each member of the branch at the address notified to the Union by that member. The Regional

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Committee may delegate to a sub committee or to a designated member or members of that committee its powers to consent to special branch meetings or to changes in the time, place or frequency of branch meetings.

10. The Executive Council shall issue standing orders to regulate the conduct of branch meetings and business and may amend the standing orders from time to time. Those standing orders may only be varied in respect of a branch with the prior approval of the Executive Council. The quorum for a branch meeting to make a decision on any matter shall be 5 members and all matters should be decided by a simple majority of those voting. If the votes are equal the proposition before the meeting shall fail.

11. The branch chair shall preside over all meetings of the branch and shall ensure that business is conducted In accordance with the rules and branch standing orders. If the chair Is absent from a branch meeting, those present shall elect a substitute to take his/her place for that meeting. The chair shall be entitled to vote on all matters to be decided by the branch but he/she shall not have a second or casting vote. The branch secretary shall be responsible for the general administration of the branch including maintaining the branch membership, financial and other records in the manner required by the Executive Council, taking and preserving branch minutes and conducting all correspondence on behalf of the branch.

12. The branch treasurer shall be responsible for dealing with financial transactions concerning the branch, ensuring that all payments are made in accordance with the rules of the Union, receiving contributions from members who pay at the branch and banking monies. He/she shall provide the branch secretary with a record of all financial transactions and shall ensure that they are accurately recorded in the branch records and that all monies are dealt with In accordance with the rules and the instructions of the Executive Council.

13. If a branch is unable to fill a vacancy for secretary or treasurer, the Executive Council may appoint a full time officer to fulfil the duties of that office until such time as the branch is able to fill the position.

14. All reference to “branch” throughout these rules refer to lay member organisations. All references to branch secretaries refer to lay officials.

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RULE 18. WORKPLACE REPRESENTATION

1. At each workplace, the members employed at that workplace, shall elect from amongst themselves, at least every 2 years, I or more of the following representatives:
1.1. Shop stewards/workplace representatives
1.2. Safety representatives
1.3. Learner representatives
1.4. Equality representatives

2. Election to one representative role shall not preclude election to another such role within the same workplace.

3. The method of election will be by such means as authorised by relevant guidance which will be issued by the Executive Council from time to time.

4. The Executive Council may group workplaces together for the purposes of representation where the number of members at each workplace is so small that representation and bargaining for the individual workplaces is not, In the opinion of the Executive Council, possible.

5. The constituency of a workplace representative will be the workplace from which they were elected, or such grouping of workplaces as was defined by the Executive Council under clause 4 of this rule.

6. Following election of a workplace representative the Regional Officer will be informed of the election by the elected representative without delay. The Regional Officer shaH ensure that the Regional Industrial Sector Committee and the union’s membership department are informed of the date of the election and the identity, constituency and contact details of the elected workplace representative.

7. The Executive Council may issue guidance on the powers and procedures of the Regional Industrial Sector Committee in relation to ratification of such election. The Regional Industrial Sector Committee will ensure compliance with such procedures.

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RULE 19. FUNDS

1. The General Secretary and employees of the Union authorised by him/her shall subject to the endorsement of the National Executive Council have authority to open and hold such bank accounts on behalf of the Union as he/she may consider appropriate.

2. The funds of the Union may be used in accordance with the provisions of these rules for the payment of provident benefits as defined by the Inland Revenue in accordance with Section 467 Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. Such provident benefits shall include the provision of legal advice and assistance.

3. There shall be a provident benefits fund which shall only be used for paying provident benefits expressly authorised by these rules. Such provident benefits shall include the provision of legal advice and assistance and all such provident benefits shall be provident benefits as defined by the Inland Revenue in accordance with Section 467 Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.

4. The Executive Council shall publish an annual financial report providing details of the Union’s income and expenditure in the previous year.

5. Any books, effects, funds, property or other assets which immediately prior to the date of these rules coming in to effect were held by, allocated to or were otherwise under the control of the Amicus or TGWU Sections of the Union, or any committee, council, branch, or other body of one of those sections, shall be the property of the Union and shall be dealt with in accordance with the instructions of the Executive Council.

6. The Union will cause to be kept proper accounting records with respect to its transactions, assets and liabilities and establish and maintain a satisfactory system of control of its accounting records, its cash holdings and all receipts and payments in accordance with Sections 28 and 29 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act, 1992.

7. The Accounts of the Union shall be audited at least once a year. The auditor shall be qualified in accordance with Section 34 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act (Consolidation) 1992.
The appointment and removal of the auditor shall be subject to the provisions S35 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act, 1992.

8. No member or members, or Branch, or any committee of members shall be permitted to use the name of the Union, or any machinery of the Union, in connection with any appeal for funds or establishment of any subsidiary benefit connected with a Branch, unless the conditions stated hereunder are accepted and the requisite official sanction obtained:­

8.1. That the accounts of such funds and all documents in connection therewith shall be open at all times to inspection by the Union accountants.
8.2. That in the case of a regional or local appeal the permission and sanction of the Regional Committee shall be first obtained, and thereafter is subject to the endorsement of the Executive Council.
8.3. That in the case of a national appeal the permission and sanction of the Executive Council shall be first obtained.
8.4. Where such funds are properly raised they should be included in the Consolidated Accounts of the Union and be subject to the requirements in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Rule.

9. In accordance with Section 30 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act, 1992, any member of the Union has the right to access to any accounting records of the Union which are available for inspection and which relate to periods including a time when that person was a member of the Union.

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RULE 20. ASSETS AND TRUSTEE PROVISION

1. All funds and assets of the Union shall be held by a Trustee Company in trust for the Union in accordance with the provisions of these rules. For the avoidance of doubt, the funds of the Union include all funds and & assets of the union and its constituent bodies.

2. The Trustee Company shall invest, dispose of or otherwise deal with the funds and other assets of the Union in accordance with the instructions of the Executive Council. Subject to the provisions of these rules, the Executive Council shall have complete discretion how to instruct the Trustee Company to invest, dispose of or otherwise deal with the funds and other assets of the Union.

3. Any books, effects, funds, property or other assets which immediately prior to [insert date on which new rules to come in to force; no later than 18 months from effective date of amalgamation, but after a ballot of all members under the jurisdiction of the new EC] were held by, allocated to or were otherwise under the control of the Amicus or TGWU Sections of the Union or any committee, council, branch, or other body of one of those sections shall be the property of the Union and shall be dealt with in accordance with the instructions of the Executive Council.

4. Trustees

4.1. The Trustee Company is the trustee of the Union.
4.2. The Executive Council may appoint and remove a second trustee where necessary to facilitate disposal of Union assets, and solely for such purpose.

5. Trustee Company

5.1. The Directors of the Trustee Company shall consist of
5.1.1. Directors appointed by and from the Executive Council.
5.1.2. The Joint General Secretaries (until such time as there is only one General Secretary, in which case the General Secretary).
5.2. A Director appointed by the Executive Council may be replaced by the Executive Council at any time.
5.3. The Executive Council shall appoint and may at any time replace the secretary of the Trustee Company.
5.4. Property which immediately prior to was vested in other trustees (whether individual or corporate) in trust for the Union shall on that date vest in the Trustee Company.

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RULE 21. EXPENSES

A lay member engaged on Union business shall be entitled to such expenses and in such circumstances as may be decided by the Executive Council provided that the method of calculating such expenses and any subsequent alteration thereto must be reported to and shall cease to have effect unless ratified by the next Policy Conference of the Union.

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RULE 22. POLITICAL ORGANISATION. - THE LABOUR PARTY

1. There shall be regional and national political committees composed of individual members of the Labour Party to co-ordinate the Union’s work in the Labour Party, acting under the direction of the Executive Council.

2. Neither the union, nor any constituent part of the union, shall affiliate to or give support to the candidates of any other political party in Great Britain other than the Labour Party.

3. Each branch of the union in Great Britain shall be entitled to affiliate and elect delegates to Constituency Labour Parties in appropriate areas subject to agreement by the Regional Political Committee and approval of the Executive Council.

4. A portion of the political fund, to be determined by the Executive Council, shall be remitted to each region.

5. All Branch ConstItuency Labour Party delegates together with representatives from the Regional Industrial Sector Committees, Area Activist Committees and the Regional Committee, who are Labour Party members, will be entitled to attend annual Regional Political Conferences. The Regional Political Conferences will elect Regional Political Committees. The size and composition of the Regional Political Committees will be determined by the Executive Council from time to time.
The Regional Political Conferences will also elect delegates who, together with delegates from the Executive Council, will form a National Political Committee, the size of which will be determined by Executive Council.

6. The Executive Council will designate a Regional Political officer in each Region, who will act as Secretary to the conference and committee. Any Individual RegIonal Political Officer may also have other responsibilities. The Executive Council is free to designate this role to a different employee at any time as it sees fit.

7. The Union will be represented at the Labour Party Annual Conference by delegates elected by the regional political conferences, the national polItical committee and others as determined by the Executive Council. The regional committees will represent the union at the Labour Party regional conference.

8. The union shall enter into Labour Party Constituency Development Plans subject to agreement by the Regional and National Political Committee’s and sanction of the Executive Council.

9. The union shall support a parliamentary group of Labour Party MP’s who are members of the union. Such support shall be determined by the Executive Council.

10. The union shall maintain a panel of members wishing to seek political office including becoming member of the UK, Scottish, Welsh and European Parliaments and any such other public bodies as the EC may decide. The composition, including the process and the qualifications required to become a member of the panel, shall be determined by the Executive Council.

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RULE23. POLITICAL FUND

Political Fund - Other than in Northern Ireland

1. The objects of the Union shall include the furtherance of the political objects to which section 72 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (the Act) applies, that is to say the expenditure of money:

1.1. on any contribution to the funds of, or on the payment of expenses incurred directly or indirectly by, a political party;
1.2. on the provision of any service or property for use by or on behalf of any political party;
1.3. in connection with the registration of electors, the candidature of any person, the selection of any candidate or the holding of any ballot by the Union in connection with any election to a political office;
1.4. on the maintenance of any holder of a political office;
1.5. on the holding of any conference or meeting by or on behalf of a political party or of any other meeting the main purpose of which is the transaction of business in connection with a political party;
1.6. on the production, publication or distribution of any literature, document, film, sound recording or advertisement the main purpose of which is to persuade people to vote for a political party or candidate or to persuade them not to vote for a political party or candidate.

Where a person attends a conference or meeting as a delegate or otherwise as a participator in the proceedings, any expenditure incurred in connection with his/her attendance as such shall, for the purposes of paragraph (e) above, be taken to be expenditure incurred on the holding of the conference or meeting.

In determining, for the purposes of paragraphs (a) to (f), whether the Union has incurred expenditure of a kind mentioned in those paragraphs no account shall be taken of the ordinary administrative expenses of the Union.

In these objects :­“candidate” means a candidate for election to a political office and includes a prospective candidate;
‘contribution”, in relation to the funds of a political party, includes any fee payable for affiliation to, or membership of, the party and any loan made to the party;

‘electors” means electors at any election to a political office;

him” includes any record, however made, of a sequence of visual images, which is capable of being used as a means of showing that sequence as a moving picture;

“local authority” means a local authority within the meaning of section 270 of the Local Government Act 1972 or section 235 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973; and

‘political office” means the office of member of Parliament, member of the European Parliament or member of a local authority or any position within a political party.

2 Any payments in the furtherance of such political objects shall be made out of a separate fund of the Union (hereinafter called the political fund).

3 As soon as is practicable after the passing of a resolution approving the furtherance of such political objects as an object of the Union the Executive Council shall ensure that a notice in the following form is given to all members of the Union in accordance with this rule:-

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Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992

A resolution approving the furtherance of political objects within the meaning of the above Act as an object of the Union has been adopted by a ballot under the Act. Any payments in the furtherance of any of those objects will be made out of a separate fund, the political fund of the Union but every member of the Union has a right to be exempt from contributing to that fund. A form of exemption notice can be obtained by or on behalf of any member either by application at or by post from the head office or any branch office of the Union or from the CertificatIon Office for Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations, Brandon House, 180 Borough High Street, London SEI ILW.
This form, when filled in, or a written request in a form to the like effect, should be handed or sent to the secretary of the branch to which the member belongs.



The notice shall be published to members by such methods as are customarily used by the Union to publish notices of importance to members and shall include the following minimum requirements.
The notice shall be published in the Union’s main journal which is circulated to members. A copy of the notice shall be posted up and kept posted up for at least 12 months in a conspicuous place, accessible to members at the office or meeting place of each branch of the Union. The secretary of each branch shall also take steps to secure that every member of the branch, so far as is reasonably practicable, receives a copy of the notice and shall supply a copy to any member on request. The Executive Council shall provide the secretary of each branch with a number of copies of the notice sufficient for these purposes.

4 Any member of the Union may at any time give notice on the form of exemption notice specified in Clause (5) or by a written request in a form to the like effect, that he/she objects to contribute to the political fund. A form of exemption notice may be obtained by, or on behalf of, any member, either by application at, or by post from, the head office or any branch office of the Union, or from the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations, Brandon House, 180 Borough High Street, London SEI 1LW.

5. The form of exemption notice shall be as follows:

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Unite the Union
POLITICAL FUND EXEMPTION NOTICE

I hereby give notice that I object to contributing to the political fund of the Union and am in consequence exempt, in the manner provided by Chapter VI of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, from contributing to that fund.
Signature______________________________________________
Name_________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________
Name of Branch_________________________________________
Membership No______________________ Date



6. Any member may obtain exemption by sending such notice to the secretary of the branch to which the member belongs and, on receiving it, the secretary shall send an acknowledgement of its receipt to the member at the address in the notice, and shall inform the General Secretary of the name and address of that member.

7. On giving such notice, a member shall be exempt, so long as his/her notice is not withdrawn, from contributing to the political fund of the Union as from either: (a) the first day of January next after notice by the member is given, or, (b) in the case of a notice given within one month after the notice given to members under Clause (3) or after the date on which a new member admitted to the Union is supplied with a copy of these rules under Clause (17), as from the date on which the member’s notice is given.

8. The Executive Council shall give effect to the exemption of members to contribute to the political fund of the Union by relieving any members who are exempt from the payment of part of any periodical contributions required from the members of the Union towards the expenses of the Union as provided and such relief shall be given as far as possible to all members who are exempt on the occasion of the same periodical payment.

For the purposes of enabling each member of the Union to know as respects any such periodical contribution what portion, if any, of the sum payable by him/her is a contribution to the political fund of the Union, it is hereby provided that a sum equal to ?% of the weekly contribution rate of a full time member payable in the first week of each quarter is a contribution to the political fund and any member who is exempt shall be relieved from the payment of the said sum and shall pay the remainder of such contribution only.

9. A member who is exempt from the obligation to contribute to the political fund of the Union shall not be excluded from any benefits of the Union, or placed in any respect either directly or indirectly under any disability or disadvantage as compared with other members of the Union (except in

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relation to the control or management of the political fund) by reason of his/her being so exempt

10. Contribution to the political fund of the Union shall not be made a condition for admission to the Union.

11. lf any member alleges that he/she is aggrieved by a breach of any provision of this rule for the political fund, being a rule made pursuant to section 82 of the Act, he/she may complain to the Certification Officer, and the Certification Officer, after making such enquiries as he/she thinks fit and after giving the complainant and any representative of the Union an opportunity of being heard, may, if he/she considers that such a breach has been committed, make such order for remedying the breach as he/she thinks just in the circumstances. Any such order of the Certification Officer may, subject to the right of appeal provided by section 95 of the Act, be enforced in the manner provIded for in sectIon 82(4) of the Act.

12. Any member may withdraw his/her notice of exemption on notifying his/her desire to that effect to the secretary of his/her branch, who shall on receiving it send the member an acknowledgement of receipt of the notification and inform the General Secretary of the name and address of that member.

13. The Executive Council shall ensure that a copy of this rule is available, free of charge, to any member of the Union who requests a copy.

14. The Executive Council shall, so far as possible, secure that each member of the Union receives a copy of this rule.

15. The Executive Council shall also send to the secretary of each branch sufficient copies of this rule to satisfy any requests for a copy by members of the branch.

16. The secretary of each branch shall supply a copy of this rule free of charge to each member who requests a copy.

17. A copy of this rule shall also be supplied by the secretary of each branch to every new member on his/her admission to the Union.

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RULE 24. NORTHERN IRELAND POLITICAL FUND
1. Under Article 59 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 no Northern Ireland member of the Union shall be required to make any contribution to the political fund of the Union as defined by Clauses (1) and (2) of this rule unless he/she delivered, as provided in Clause (20), to the Head Office or some branch office of the Union, a notice in writing, in the form set out below, of his/her willingness to contribute to that Fund, and has not withdrawn the notice in the manner provided in Clause (19). Every member of the Union who has not delivered such a notice or who, having delivered such a notice, has withdrawn it in the manner provided in Clause (19), is to be deemed for the purpose of these rules to be a member who is exempt from the obligation to contribute to the political fund of the Union.

The form of the notice of willingness to contribute to the political fund of the union is as follows:-


­POLITICAL FUND NOTICE - NORTHERN IRELAND
I HEREBY give notice that I am willing, and agree, to contribute to the political fund of Unite the Union, and I understand that I shall in consequence, be liable to contribute to that fund and shall continue to be so liable, unless I deliver to the head office or some branch office of the Union, a written notice of withdrawal. I also understand that after delivering such a notice of withdrawal I shall continue to be liable to contribute to the political fund until the next following first day of January.
Signature
Name
Address
Name of branch
Membership Number (if known)
Date

2. If at any time a member of the Union, who has delivered such a notice as is provided for In Clause (18) gives notice of withdrawal thereof, delivered as provided in Clause (20), to the head office or at any branch office of the Union, he/she shall be deemed to have withdrawn the notice as from the first day of January next after the delivery of the notice of withdrawal.

3. The notices referred to in Clauses (18) and (19) may be delivered personally by the member or by an authorised agent of the member, and any notice shall be deemed to have been delivered at the head or branch office of the Union if it has been sent by post properly addressed to that office.

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4. The Executive Council shall give effect to the exemption of Northern Ireland members to contribute to the political fund of the Union by relieving those members who are legally exempt from the payment of part of any periodical contributions required from the members of the Union towards the expenses of the Union as provided and such relief shall be given as far as possible to all members who are exempt on the occasion of the same periodical payment.

5. For the purpose of enabling each Northern Ireland member, who has opted to pay to the political fund, to know as respects any such periodical contribution what portion of the sum payable by him/her is a contribution to the political fund of the Union, it is hereby provided that a sum equal to ?% of the weekly contribution rate of a full time member payable in the first week of each quarter is a contribution to the political fund and any member who is exempt shall be relieved from the payment of the said sum and shall pay the remainder of such contribution only.

6. Northern Ireland members who are statutorily exempt from the obligation to contribute to the political fund of the Union shall not be excluded from any benefits of the Union, or placed in any respect either directly or indirectly under any disability or disadvantage as compared with other members of the Union (except in relation to the control or management of the political fund) by reason of their being exempt.

7. Contribution to the political fund of the Union shall not be made a condition for admission to the Union.

8. If any Northern Ireland member alleges that he/she is aggrieved by a breach of any of the rules made pursuant to Article 59 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 he/she may complain to the Northern Ireland Certification Officer, 10-12 Gordon Street, Belfast, BTI 2LG, under Article 57 (2) to (4) of that Order.

9. If after giving the complainant and a representative of the Union an opportunity to be heard, the Certification Officer considers that a breach has been committed, he/she may make an order for remedying it as he/she thinks just in the circumstances. Under Article 69 of the 1995 Order an appeal against any decision of the Certification Officer may be made to the Court of Appeal on a question of law.

10. Additionally, if any Northern Ireland member alleges that he/she is aggrieved by a breach of the political fund rules made pursuant to section 82 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 he/she may complain to the GB Certification Officer, Brandon House, 180 Borough High Street, SEI ILW. If, after giving the complainant and representative of the Union an opportunity of being heard, the GB Certification Officer considers that a breach has been committed, he/she may make an order for remedying it as he/she thinks just in the circumstances. Any such order of the GB Certification Officer is subject to the right of appeal provided for by section 82 (4) of the 1992 Act.

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RULE 25. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND POLITICAL FUND

Clauses (1) — (17) of Rule 23 shall have effect in the Republic of Ireland subject to the following modifications:

1. all references to statutory provisions therein shall be construed as references to the appropriate legislation in the Republic of Ireland.
2. “political office” means the office of President, member of Dail Eireann, members of Seanad Eireann, member of the European Parliament, or any member of a local authority.
3. Forms of exemption notice may be obtained at or by post from any Union office within the Republic of Ireland.
4. A sufficient number of the forms of exemption notice shall be available at each office of the Union within the Republic of Ireland and any member shall be provided with a copy of such form on his/her request.

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RULE 26. IRELAND

1. There shall be an Irish Executive Committee which shall make decisions in matters of an industrial or political nature which arise out of and in connection with the economic or political condition of the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland and which are of direct concern to members of the Union resident in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland and which do not affect members of the Union not so resident. Each member of the Irish Executive Committee shall be resident in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

2. The Irish Executive Committee shall be composed of elected lay members who are resident in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

3. The size and composition of the Irish Executive Committee shall be determined by the Executive Council provided that the gender and ethnic balance of elected representatives at least reflect proportionality of the membership they represent

4. The procedure for qualifications, election and nomination of representatives to the Irish Executive Committee shall be determined by the Executive Council. The Executive Council may organise constituencies both by reference to industrial sectors and geographic area following consultation with appropriate constitutional committees in Ireland

5. The Irish Executive Committee shall take the place and have the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Regional Committee for Ireland. The Regional Secretary shall act as secretary to the Irish Executive Committee and shall be responsible for implementing its decisions.

6. The Irish Executive Committee shall meet once a quarter or more frequently if, in the opinion of the Regional Secretary, the business renders it necessary. The Regional Secretary is responsible for convening all meetings.

7. The Irish Executive Committee shall have power to appoint one or more sub-committees from among its members and, except where otherwise determined by the Executive Council, shall have the power to delegate to any such sub-committee all or any of its powers including therein the conduct of hearings, appeals, inquiries, investigations or any other proceedings or functions whatever which it is authorised by these Rules to undertake.

8. The Executive Council, in consultation with the Irish Executive Committee, shall determine the number of delegates to be elected to the conferences/congresses of organisations in Ireland to which the Union is affiliated.

9. In alternate years to the Union’s Policy Conference there shall be Irish Policy Conference, the size and composition of which shall be determined by the Executive Council provided that the gender and ethnic balance of elected representatives at least reflect proportionality of the membership they represent.

10. For the purpose of electing delegates to the Irish Policy Conference the Executive Council may organise constituencies both by reference to industrial sectors and geographic area following consultation with Irish Executive Committee.

11. The procedure for qualifications, election and nomination of representatives to the Irish Policy Conference shall be determined by the Executive Council in consultation with the Irish Executive Committee

12. The Irish Executive Committee will determine the number of policy motions which may be submitted by the branch; area regional; industrial and equalities structures, and from the Irish

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Executive Committee itself. The Irish Executive Committee shall submit a report to the Irish Policy Conference on the activities of the Union within Ireland.

13. The chair of the Irish Executive Committee shall chair the Irish Conference.

14. Resolutions of the Irish Conference concerning general policy matters affecting members employed in the Republic shall, provided they are not inconsistent with the general policy and objectives of the Union, constitute the policy of the Union in the Republic and shall be binding upon the Irish Executive Committee.

15. In respect of each industrial sector, the Executive Council shall determine, in consultation with the Irish Executive Committee, whether to convene separate Sector Conferences for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland instead of convening a Regional Sector Conference for the whole of Ireland. Policy decisions of a Sector Conference for the Republic of Ireland shall decide the Union’s policy in the Republic for that sector provided they are not inconsistent with the general
policy and objectives of the Union.

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RULE 27. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND - STRIKES AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL ACTION

1. The provisions of this rule shall apply notwithstanding any other provision contained in these rules.

2. In this rule the terms “strike” and “industrial action” shall have the same meaning as in the Industrial Relations Act 1990 of the Republic of Ireland.

3. In this rule the term “member” shall have the same meaning as elsewhere in these rules.

4. The provisions of this rule shall apply to the Republic of Ireland only.

5. The Union shall not organise, participate in, sanction or support a strike or other industrial action without a secret ballot, entitlement to vote in which shall be accorded equally to all members whom it is reasonable at the time of the ballot to believe will be called upon to engage in the strike or other industrial action.

6. The Union shall take reasonable steps to ensure that every member entitled to vote in the ballot votes without interference from, or constraint imposed by, the Union or any of its members, officials or employees and, so far as is reasonably possible, that such members shall be given a fair opportunity of voting.

7. The Irish Executive Committee shall have full discretion in relation to organising, participating in, sanctioning or supporting a strike or other industrial action notwithstanding that the majority of those voting in the ballot, including an aggregate ballot referred to in clause (8) of this rule, favours such strike or other industrial action.

8. The Irish Executive Committee shall not organise, participate in, sanction or support a strike or other industrial action against the wishes of a majority of the Union’s members voting in a secret ballot, except where, in the case of a ballot by more than 1 trade union, an aggregate majority of all the votes cast favours such strike or other industrial action.

9. Where the outcome of a secret ballot conducted by the Union or in the case of ballots conducted by the Union and any number of other trade unions which are affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade unions an aggregate majority of all the votes cast is in favour of supporting a strike organised by another trade union, a decision to take such supportive action shall not be implemented by the Union without the sanction of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

10. As soon as practicable after the conduct of a secret ballot the Union shall take reasonable steps to make known to the members of the Union entitled to vote in the ballot:

10.1. the number of ballot papers Issued
10.2. the number of votes cast
10.3. the number of votes in favour of the proposal
10.4. the number of votes against the proposal, and
10.5. the number of spoiled votes.

11. Nothing in this rule shall constitute an obstacle to negotiations for the settlement of a trade dispute nor the return to work by members of the Union party to the trade dispute, and any decision take in accordance with this rule to organise, participate in, sanction or support a strike or industrial action may be rescinded or amended without the necessity of a further ballot of the members concerned.

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RULE 28. ISLE OF MAN

The Union shall Register with the relevant Isle of Man authorities in accordance with the laws applying thereto including the Trade Union Act 1991.

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RULE 29. MEMBERSHIP DISCIPLINE
A member may be charged with:

1.1. Acting in any way contrary to the rules or any duty or obligation imposed on that member by or pursuant to these rules whether in his/her capacity as a member, a holder of a lay office or a representative of the Union.
1.2. Being a party to any fraud on the Union or any misappropriation or misuse of its funds or property.
1.3. Knowingly, recklessly or in bad faith providing the Union with false or misleading information relating to a member or any other aspect of the Union’s actMties.
1.4. Inciting, espousing or practising discrimination or intolerance amongst members on grounds of race, ethnic origin, religion, age, gender, disability or sexual orientation.
1.5. Bringing about injury to or discredit upon the Union or any member of the Union.
1.6. Obtaining membership of the Union by false statement material to their admission into the Union or any evasion in that regard.

2. Disciplinary Hearings shall be organised and conducted under directions issued by the Executive Council. These directions ensure that the process is fair and conducted in accordance with the principles of natural justice.

3. A charge under this Rule may be heard by a Branch, Branch Committee (where so determined by the Branch), Regional Committee or the Executive Council. The Executive Council may delegate to a sub-committee of the Executive Council.

4. The Executive Council or the relevant Regional Committee may suspend a member charged under this rule from holding any office or representing the Union in any capacity pending its decision. A member shall be given written notice (or, if the member was informed verbally confirmation in writing) of any such suspension as soon as is reasonably practicable.

5. The range of disciplinary sanctions shall include the following:

5.1. censure;
5.2. withdrawal of workplace credentials;
5.3. removal from office;
5.4. barring from holding office and
5.5. expulsion.

6. The full range of disciplinary sanctions shall be available to the Executive Council, however the range of disciplinary sanctions for other bodies will be limited to the following:

6.1. Branch, will have the power to censure;
6.2. Regional Committee, will have the power to censure and withdraw workplace credentials.

7. Appeals

7.1. A member will have the right to appeal against any disciplinary sanctions.
7.2. In the case of a sanction imposed by a Branch, or Branch Committee, the appeal shall be to the Regional Committee, whose decision shall be final.
7.3. In the case of a sanction imposed by a Regional Committee the appeal to shall be to the Executive Council, whose decision shall be final.
7.4. In the case of a sanction imposed by the Executive Council the appeal to shall be to the Appeals’ Tribunal, whose decision shall be final.
7.5. An Appeal against a decision of the Executive Council shall be heard by an Appeals’ Tribunal consisting of an individual nominated by the Chair of ACAS. The Appeals’ Tribunal

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shall hear and adjudicate on an appeal as quickly as is reasonably practicable.
7.6. Unless and until annulled or varied by the Appeals’ Tribunal, the decision of the Executive Council shall remain in force.
7.7. The Appeals’ Tribunal shall have the power to decide its own procedures for dealing with the appeal. Providing that the process is fair and conducted in accordance with the principles of natural justice
7.8. The Appeals’ Tribunal shall have the power to annul the Executive Council’s decision that the charge was proven or to uphold that decision and either confirm or vary the penalties imposed pursuant to this rule.
7.9. There shall be no further appeal from a decision of the Appeals’ Tribunal.
7.10. The Executive Council shall comply with any decision of the Appeals’ Tribunal made in accordance with this rule.

8. A member may not be charged under this Rule in respect of any alleged act or omission in connection with the performance of his/her duties as a full time officer and/or employee of the Union.

9. If, prior to these rules coming in to force, a member was charged or disciplined under the rules of one of the predecessor unions, or the Unite the Union sectional or general rules in force at the time; that charge or complaint shall continue to be dealt with under the applicable predecessor rules, except that:
9.1. any references to the Joint Executive Council of the Union, the General Executive Council of the T&G Section or the National Executive Committee of the Amicus Section shall be construed as references to the Executive Council of the Union; and
9.2. any appeal against a decision on a charge or a complaint shall be referred to the Appeal Tribunal constituted in accordance with the provisions of this rule and shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of this rule.
9.3. Penalties imposed pursuant to the rules of the Union prior to the effective date shall remain in force.

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RULE 30. OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The union shall maintain a website and posting information on this website, together with posting to branch secretaries, shall be the official means of making announcements to members on matters of general interest concerning the affairs of the Union.

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RULE 31. VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION

1. The Union may be dissolved by a resolution supported by not less than 80% of votes cast in a postal ballot of all the members

2. After discharging all debts and liabilities the remaining assets of the Union, if any, shall be distributed equally between the members at the date of dissolution unless the members when voting for dissolution shall have resolved to the contrary

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RULE 32. TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS FOR SUPERANNUATION SCHEMES

Agreed to amend on advice from pensions law specialist
The Union hereby adopts the Trust Deed and Rules of the * (scheme references and additional text to be supplied following consultation with pensions advisors for both predecessor unions) and the Trustees of the Scheme may with the consent of only the Executive Council of the Union exercise the powers to amend the Trust Deed and Rules contained therein.

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