3.1 BRANCHES
1. The Union shall be divided into Branches. Members shall be allocated to different Branches as decided by the National Executive Council. A Member may not belong to more than one Branch.
2. This Branch may establish one or more Sections and allocate the Branch Members to particular Sections. The Members concerned shall have the right of appeal to the National Executive Council from the decision of the Branch either to establish Sections or not to do so.
The National Executive Council may at the request of a Branch or on their own initiative:
(a) abolish all or any of the Sections in a Branch;
(b) amalgamate two or more Sections into one Section
The National Executive Council may at the request of any of the Branches or on its own initiative dissolve a Branch and transfer its Members to one or more other Branches or divide a Branch into two or more Sections.
3. In the event of a Branch being dissolved or seceding from the Union, all Branch funds shall be deemed to be the funds of the Union and shall be returned to the General Secretary.
4. Any Branch/Section whose operation has proved unsatisfactory which is either amalgamated or abolished on the sole initiative of the National Executive Council shall have the right of appeal of the next Biennial Conference.
3.2 BRANCH BUSINESS MEETINGS
1. The business of every Branch shall be:
(a) To protect and promote the interests of its Members;
(b) The recruitment of new Members;
(c) The collection of contributions from Members;
(d) The implementation of policy as decided from time to time by the National Executive Council and by the Biennial or Special Delegate Conference of the Union;
(e) All other business within the objects of the Union as the Branch may itself decide or may be instructed by the National Executive Council to undertake.
2. In addition to such ordinary meetings as the Branch may decide to hold, each Branch shall hold an Annual General Meeting before the last day of February each year at which every benefit Member of the Branch shall be entitled to attend. The Branch Secretary shall publish a notice to the Branch Members stating the place, date and time of the Annual General Meeting. A copy of this notice shall be forwarded to Head Office at least fourteen days in advance of the meeting.
3. The Branch Treasurer shall, as soon as possible after the 31st December each year, prepare a financial statement of the income and expenditure of the Branch for the twelve months ending 31st December, which statement shall be submitted by the Secretary to the Branch Committee and to the Annual General Meeting of the Branch and a copy of which shall be sent to the General Secretary.
4. The Secretary shall also prepare the Branch Annual Report detailing the activities of the Branch and Section(s) during the year to the Branch Committee and the Annual General Meeting, copy of which shall be sent to the General Secretary.
5. A Special General Meeting of a Branch shall be held whenever the Branch Committee considers it necessary or whenever the National Executive so orders or whenever such a meeting is requisitioned by a notice in writing addressed to the Branch Secretary stating the business to be considered and signed by not less than 50% of the Members of the Branch.
6. Each Branch shall adopt Standing Orders approved by the National Executive Council governing the conduct of the Branch and Committee.
3.3 BRANCH OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
1. The business of each Branch shall be administered by the Branch Officers subject to the control of the Branch Committee.
2. All Branch Officers must be benefit Members of the Union for the twelve months prior to election.
3. Nominations for the appointment of the Branch Officers and the Members of the Branch Committee shall be made at the Annual General Meeting (or Special General Meeting if called for that purpose) or beforehand in writing, if so provided for in the Branch Standing Orders, and if more than one qualified person is nominated for any position, an election shall be held in a manner determined by the Standing Orders of the Branch.
4. The Standing Orders of the Branch shall determine the size and method of representation of groups and the size and method of election of the Branch Committee.
5. The National Executive Council shall have the power to waive or vary the conditions for the appointment of Branch Officers and Committee in the event of the formation, reorganisation or re-establishment of a Branch.
6. The Branch Committee may suspend from office any Member of a Branch Committee or Branch Officer or recommend removal from Office at a Special Branch Meeting summoned for that purpose. The person so suspended or removed from office shall have the right to appeal to the National Executive Council which may confirm the suspension or removal or reinstate such person upon such conditions as it thinks fit.
7. The National Executive Council shall have the power to suspend or remove from office a Branch Officer or Member of a Branch Committee and to make any arrangements necessary in accordance with these Rules for filling the vacancy so created. Any person so suspended or removed shall have the right of appeal to Biennial Conference.
8. The Branch Chairperson, or in his/her absence, the Vice Chairperson or person properly appointed to act, shall preside at all Branch meetings and Branch Committee meetings and see that such meetings are conducted in accordance with the Rules and the Branch Standing Orders and sign all approved minutes of the meetings.
9. The Branch Secretary in addition to the duties specified in the Rules herein shall also be responsible for the effective administration of the Branch, liaison with Head Office and for the conduct of the business of the Branch as instructed by the Branch Committee and National Executive Council in accordance with the Rules.
10. A Branch may appoint Branch Representatives for specified purposes including representation on local Trade Union Bodies or Management/Union Committees. Such Branch Representatives shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of the Branch Standing Orders. Such Branch Representatives may be removed by the Branch Committee subject to at least fourteen days notice of motion for removal being given subject to the right of appeal to the Branch.
3.4 SECTIONS
1. Each Section shall be administered by a Section Secretary, Chairperson and Section Committee consisting of not less than five Members of the Section under the direction of the Branch Secretary. The Secretary, Chairperson and Section Committee shall be elected annually by the Members of the Section in accordance with procedures determined by the Branch Committee subject to ratification by the National Executive Council. Every Section Committee shall meet not less frequently than once each quarter or whenever the Branch Officers think necessary.
A Special Section meeting shall be called as soon as possible after the receipt of a requisition signed by not less than 50% of the Members of the Section stating the purpose for which the meeting is required to the Section Secretary who shall transmit a copy to the Branch Secretary immediately upon receipt thereof.
2. The National Executive Council shall have the power to waive or vary the conditions for the appointment of Section Officers and Committee in the event of the formation, reorganisation or re-establishment of a Section.
3. The business transacted at a Section meeting shall be confined exclusively to the affairs of the Section unless the Branch expressly required that some specified items of general Branch business may be transacted at Section meetings.
4. The Branch Officers and any other person authorised by the Branch Committee shall be entitled to attend and take part in the proceedings of any Section meeting but shall not be entitled to vote unless qualified to do so as a Member of the Section. The Section Secretary shall control the affairs of the Section subject to the supervision of the Section Committee and the Branch Secretary and Branch Committee.