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Rule changes

21 May 2013

Rule changes to UCU Congress 2013 to be taken in private session: Friday 31 May 2013, 9:30-10:15

Current rules:

UCU rules 2012-13 [324kb] | UCU rules 2012-13 [160kb]

Motions:

40 - Organisation of members/retired members
41 - Congress standing orders: unacceptable behaviour
42 - Congress standing orders: submission of motions - local rules
43 - Congress standing orders: submission of motions - general branch meetings
44 - Congress standing order change  


40 Organisation of members/retired members - South East regional committee

Rule 12.4, insert : 'or to a Branch/Local Association local to them' between "Branch" and "unless" in line 1, and

add new sentence to 12.4: 'On retirement all members will be contacted by HQ to ascertain their chosen Branch/Local Association.'

Rule 12.4 shall then read 'Members who are retired shall belong to a Regional Retired Members' Branch, unless the member chooses to belong to their former Branch/Local Association instead or to a Branch/Local Association local to them. On retirement all members will be contacted by HQ to ascertain their chosen Branch/Local Association/Regional Retired Members Branch'.

Purpose of Change - Members on retirement are not currently asked whether they wish to remain in their Branch/LA or to be transferred to a Regional Retired Members Branch or have the option of being a member of a Branch/LA more local to them if they move on retirement. Several have been moved out of their Branch/LA without their knowledge and denied certain voting rights as a consequence. Branch/LA Secretaries are also seeing membership decline inexplicably because of this administrative transfer. This rule change puts into words what was agreed at an earlier Congress.

CARRIED


41 Congress standing orders: unacceptable behaviour - National Executive Committee

Delete existing Congress standing order 34. Replace with:

34 It shall not be in order for any participant on the floor of any conference to speak or behave in a way which:

  1. is threatening, intimidating or verbally abusive
  2. is discriminatory - including ageist, disablist, homophobic, racist, sexist and transphobic language
  3. is derogatory or malicious to other individual delegates or UCU members or UCU staff
  4. makes unsubstantiated allegations about others, in particular other UCU members or UCU staff, or make criticisms of individual members or union employees who have no right to address conference
  5. makes inflammatory statements
  6. prevents other UCU members present from participating in the business of Congress
  7. prevents UCU staff from carrying out their duties.

In the event of such behaviour, the chair shall immediately ask the participant to withdraw their remarks and apologise to the Conference and the individual(s) concerned. If the member refuses to do this, or persists thereafter, in order to restore order to the meeting the Chair shall exclude that individual for a period of part, or all, of the remaining Conference proceedings.

Purpose: to give a clearer description of unacceptable behaviour

LOST


42 Congress standing orders: submission of motions - local rules - National Executive Committee

Standing order 3.1, after 'the approval of a quorate general meeting of that branch/local association', add 'or by a ballot of members if required by the local rules'.

Purpose: to allow a Congress or Sector Conference motion or amendment to be approved by a ballot of branch members if so required by local rules.

LOST


43 Congress standing orders: submission of motions - general branch meetings - National Executive Committee

Delete standing order 3.2

Standing order 3.3 (to be renumbered 3.2), third sentence, delete 'and 3.2'; delete 'or by a quorate meeting of a branch/local association committee'.

Purpose: to ensure that all motions and amendments submitted by branches to Congress and the sector conferences have the approval of a quorate branch meeting.

LOST


44 Congress standing order change - Anti-casualisation committee

Congress standing order 3.3 add at end:

However, in the case of special meetings of National Congress or Sector Conferences called under rule 16.10 amendments submitted by those Committees listed in 16.6.4 will be accepted if the Committee Chair submitting the amendment can certify that at least one third of the voting representatives have expressed an opinion and a that a majority of those expressing an opinion are in favour of the amendment.

Purpose:
This rule change would allow amendments, supported by the relevant committees, to be submitted to special meetings of National Congress or Sector Conferences without the need for a full meeting of the relevant committee. This would bring the rules relating to submission of amendments into line with the standing orders in relation to the submission of motions.

CARRIED

Last updated: 31 May 2013