4.1 BIENNIAL CONFERENCE
1. A Biennial Conference shall be held every two years. The date, place and time of the Biennial Conference shall be determined by the National Executive Council. All Branches shall be entitled to be represented at the General Conference and at the sessions of the Occupational and/or Sectoral Conference appropriate to its Membership.
Branch representation at the Biennial Conference shall be based on the Benefit Membership of Branches as at 31st December last preceding the Biennial Conference.
2. Branch representation at Conferences shall be determined on the following basis:-
1 - 50 Benefit Members = 1 Delegate
51-100 Benefit Members = 2 Delegates
1 Delegate for each complete 50 Benefit Members up to 200 and 1
Delegate for each complete 100 Benefit Members thereafter.
Branches with over 400 Members will be allowed one additional
Delegate and Branches with over 1,000 Members two additional
Delegates above and beyond that provided for in the above formula.
Such Delegates shall be elected by the Branch in accordance with Branch Standing Orders as decided by the National Executive Council.
3. Branches shall, when electing Delegates, also elect a Substitute Delegate or Delegates. The names of the Delegates and Substitute Delegates appointed to attend the Conference shall be notified to the General Secretary not later than the date fixed by the National Executive Council for that purpose.
4. No person who is a General Officer of the Union or a Member of the National Executive Council shall be eligible to represent a Branch at the Biennial Conference or at a Special Conference.
5. The date, place and time of the Biennial Conference shall be notified to Branches not less than four calendar months beforehand. The notice of the Conference shall specify the latest dates for the receipt of nominations for the election of Members of the National Executive Council and Members of the Standing Orders Committee and for the receipt of Motions and Amendments for consideration by the Conference.
6. Branches may submit Motions and Amendments to Motions for the Conference agenda in accordance with the numbers prescribed in the following table:
Branches with 1 to 100 Members - 2 Motions and 2 Amendments to Motions;
Branches with over 100 to 200 Members - 3 Motions and 3 Amendments to Motions;
Branches with over 200 to 500 Members - 4 Motions and 4 Amendments to Motions;
Branches with 500 to 1,000 Members - 5 Motions and 4 Amendments to Motions;
Branches with over 1,000 Members - 6 Motions and 4 Amendments to Motions.
7. All Resolutions and Amendments must be submitted to the General Secretary on or before the dates set for this purpose by the National Executive Council.
8. A copy of the Final Agenda, National Executive Report to Biennial Conference shall be circulated to all Branches and Delegates not later than fourteen days before the date of the Conference.
9. During the days appointed for the meeting of the Biennial Conference, the General Conference shall commence on the first day and the Occupational and/or Sectoral Conferences shall hold their respective meetings concurrently on the second day. The General Conference shall resume its meeting on the third day as soon as the business of the Occupational and/or Sectoral Conferences is concluded.
10. Business of Conference
Biennial Conference shall deal with the following matters as appropriate:-
(a) The Order of Business of the General Conference shall be the submission by the Standing Orders Committee of the Standing Orders prepared, which shall, on acceptance, govern the proceedings of the General Conference thereafter;
(b) The confirmation of Minutes of the General Sessions of the preceding Biennial Conference and of any preceding Special Conferences;
(c) The consideration of the Biennial Report of the National Executive Council and of all propositions dealt with under the appropriate sections of the Biennial Report. This Biennial Report to include a status update on Motions passed at previous Conferences;
(d) To consider the accounts of the Union and all Reports connected therewith;
(e) The election of the National Executive Council, Standing Orders Committee and ratification of Officers of the Union, as necessary;
(f) The election of President and Vice-President who shall be Members of the incoming National Executive Council;
(g) Consider amendments to Rules of the Union as permitted by Rule;
(h) Consideration and settlement of any other business which is properly before the Conference.
4.2 SPECIAL CONFERENCE
1. A Special Conference shall be held whenever it is deemed necessary to do so by the National Executive Council or by decision of Biennial Conference. A Special Conference shall deal only with the specific business for which it is convened.
2. Unless otherwise decided by the National Executive Council at least one calendar month’s notice shall be given to all Branches of any Special Conference.
3. Branch representation at Special Conferences shall be based on the same provisions as applied to Delegates attending the Biennial Conference and as provided for in the Branch Standing Orders sanctioned by the National Executive Council.
4.3 OCCUPATIONAL CONFERENCES
1. The order of business of Occupational Conferences shall be:
(a) To consider the submissions of the Standing Orders Committee of the Standing Orders prepared which shall on acceptance govern the proceedings of the Occupational Conference thereafter;
(b) Consideration of the Executive Committee Report and proposals submitted by Branches appropriate to be considered by the particular Occupational Conference;
(c) To deal with any other business which may be properly brought before the Conference.
4.4 CONFERENCE STANDING ORDERS
1. The proceedings of every Biennial and Special Conference shall be conducted in accordance with Standing Orders.
2.(a) The Standing Orders Committee shall consist of eight (8) Members and shall be elected from nominees submitted by Branches by card vote based on the membership of the Branches represented in which the full number of vacancies shown on the voting paper must be voted for otherwise the paper will be spoiled and the votes lost.
(b) The Standing Orders Committee shall hold office for four years but the election will be ordered in such a manner as to ensure that a minimum of four Members will be subject to election at the General Session of Biennial Conference every two years. The nominees getting the highest vote in the election shall be substitute members of the Committee.
3. Nominations of Members for election to the Standing Orders Committee may be made by any Branch. A Branch may only nominate one of its own members. Any Member so nominated must be a Delegate to Biennial Conference, a retiring National Executive Member or an outgoing Standing Orders Committee Member.
4. A Member of the Committee shall not be eligible to be selected as a Delegate for any Branch to any Conference while a Member of the Standing Orders Committee.
5. There shall be Occupational and/or Sectoral Conference Standing Orders Committees for Occupational and/or Sectoral Conferences. The members of these Standing Orders Committees shall be members of and chosen by the General Conference Standing Orders Committee.
6. The said Committee shall not be subject to any control by, or direction of, the National Executive Council in regard to their duties as set forth in this Rule.
7. The General Conference Standing Orders Committee shall elect from within itself a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson who shall meet prior to and during Conference and shall report as often as necessary and their duties shall be to:
(a) Verify and report on the credentials of Delegates;
(b) Examine Motions and Amendments submitted by Branches and nominations for election and report thereon as to whether or not they are in order;
(c) Co-operate with Branches submitting Motions and Amendments in order that composite Motions may be obtained and agreed whenever possible;
(d) Prepare Standing Orders for the government of the proceedings of the General Conference, submit all decisions of the Committee by way of report to the General Conference for adoption.
8. In discharge of their duties the Occupational and/or Sectoral Conference Standing Orders Committee shall:
(a) Prepare Standing Orders for the government of the proceedings of the Occupational and/or Sectoral Conferences;
(b) So arrange the Agenda of the Occupational and/or Sectoral Conferences that the proposals from the Branches may be readily associated with the relevant sections (if any) of the National Executive Committee Report prepared for consideration by the Occupational and/or Sectoral Conferences.
9. All decisions of the Occupational and/or Sectoral Conference Standing Orders Committee shall be embodied in reports and submitted to the Conference and be subject to decision thereon.
4.5 TELLERS
1. Two Delegates or such other numbers as may be agreed upon at the time of election shall be elected by roll call to act as Tellers whose duty shall be to count and record the votes on every occasion on which a division is taken.
2. Their decision as to the number recorded on any vote shall be final. In cases where the Tellers disagree the Chairperson shall order a recount.