Manchester Trades Union Council

Established since 1866

REPRESENTATIVE BODY OF THE TRADES UNION CONGRESS

RULES

Amended March 2009

"Unity is Strength"

1.—NAME

The name of the Council shall be "The Manchester Trades Union Council".

2.—OBJECTS

The objects of the Council shall be:

(a)    to promote the interests of all /its affiliated branches/organisations and to secure united action on all questions affecting or likely to affect those interests;

(b)   to help to promote suitable educational, social and sports facilities for adult workers;

(c)   to establish more intimate relations between the affiliated branches/organisations and the Trades Union Congress;

(d)   to improve generally the economic and social conditions of the workers;

(e)   to support and work for the application of such objects as the Trades Union Congress may from time to time determine.

3.—CONSTITUTION

The Council shall consist only of representatives of Trade Unions or branches of Trade Unions whose places of meeting are within the area covered by the Council.

The application of any branch/organisation desiring to affiliate shall be submitted to the full Council for its approval or otherwise.

Each affiliated branch/organisation shall be allocated to its appropriate group by the Executive Committee.

4.—REPRESENTATION

Branches/organisations affiliated to the Council shall be allowed representation on the following basis:

100 members or less                                               1 delegate

101 to 250 members                                               2 delegates

251 to 500 members                                               3 delegates;

501 to 750 members                                               4 delegates

751 to 1,000 members                                            5 delegates

1,001 to 1,250 members                                        6 delegates

1,251 to 1,500 members                                        7 delegates

1,501 members or more                                         8 delegates (maximum)

5.—CONTRIBUTIONS

Each affiliated branch/organisation shall contribute an affiliation fee of fifteen pence per member per annum, payable in advance.

6.—MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL

Ordinary meetings of the Council shall be held on the third Wednesday in each month, the February meeting being the Annual Meeting.

An extraordinary meeting of the Council may be called at any time by the Executive Committee or, in the case of urgency, by the President and Secretary. The object of such extraordinary meeting shall be clearly stated on the notice convening it.  Delegates shall register upon entry to any meeting of the Council.

7.—MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COUNCIL

Notices of motion and amendments thereto may be submitted only by the Executive Committee or affiliated branches/organisations.  The preferred medium of communication is electronic by an authorised person.

Ordinary motions from affiliated organisations must be received by the Secretary not later than seven days before the date of the Council meeting at which it is intended that they should be discussed.  Such motions shall be placed upon the agenda in the order in which they were received by the Secretary.

No motion seeking to involve the Council in the internal affairs of a Union, or seeking to take sides in an inter-union dispute, shall be competent business for the agenda.

The chair shall ask for any proposed amendments or emergency motions or vote of thanks or commemorations to be submitted in writing during the course of the debate

A ruling from the chair shall then be given as to whether such amendment or emergency motion is, or is not, competent business.

A challenge to such ruling shall be treated as the first item of business of the debate and, to be successful, shall require a majority vote of two to one.

No resolution passed by the Council shall be rescinded or amended at the same meeting at which it was passed, or within ten weeks of such meeting.

8. COMPOSITION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall be composed of:

(a)   the Officers of the Council, and

(b)   21 members elected to represent the various groups as may be determined from time to time.

In the event of the resignation or death of any group representative, that group shall be entitled to nominate a new representative to be elected by the Council.

(c)            The executive shall elect from within its number any officers required to carry out the work of Manchester Trades Union Council.

(d)            All officer positions will be open to job share.

9. NOMINATION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

(a)                            The President, Vice-President,  Secretary, Treasurer and Doorkeeper will be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.

(b)   Each affiliated branch/organisation shall have the right to nominate a delegate to represent its group on the Executive Committee. A nomination for any group representative may be made only by a branch/organisation in that group.

(c)            Branches/organisations having women members shall, in addition, have the right to nominate one woman delegate for the position of Women's representative on the Executive Committee.

(d)            Invitations to nominate delegates for election to the Executive Committee shall be sent to all affiliated branches/organisations not later than eight weeks before the Annual Meeting.  Nominations for the Executive Committee can also be asked for during the Annual Meeting at the discretion of the Chair

(e)            In the absence of 21 nominees at the AGM, the council is empowered to co-opt delegates to the executive during the course of the year.

10. OFFICERS

The Officers of the Council shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Minute Secretary and the Door keeper.  They shall receive such remuneration as may be decided upon by the Council upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee.

The other Officers should be nominated at the Council meeting immediately preceding the Annual Meeting.

11.—ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Officers and the Group Representatives shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Council.  In the event that the election of any Officer or Group Representative is contested, there shall be a ballot in which all delegates attending the Annual Meeting shall be entitled to vote.

12.—FUNCTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall conduct the detailed business of the Council and shall report its proceedings to the Council.

13.—MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall meet on the first Wednesday in each month.  A special meeting of the Committee may be called whenever deemed necessary by the President and Secretary.  Members may claim out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred in attending meetings of the Executive Committee. These shall not exceed bus or standard-class railway fares from their homes or places of work.  Any expenses claimed in excess of this, due to special circumstances, must be authorised by the Committee.

Any member of the Executive Committee who is absent from three consecutive meetings of the Committee shall, unless a satisfactory explanation for such absence has been received by the Secretary, be deemed to have vacated office and the vacancy shall be filled as provided for in Rule 8(b).

14.—DUTIES OF OFFICERS

PRESIDENT.—The President shall preside at all meetings of the Council and its committees and shall see that the business at meetings and of the Council generally is conducted in a proper manner.  At meetings when the President is not in atten­dance the Vice-President shall preside; in the absence of both, the meeting shall elect one of the members present to preside.

SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Council, the Executive Committee and any sub-committees, and shall conduct the business of the Council in accordance with these rules. He/she shall issue to each delegate notice of all Council meetings, together with a copy of the minutes of the previous meeting, seven clear days prior to each meeting.

MINUTE SECRETARY,—The Minute Secretary shall keep a correct record of the proceedings of meetings of the Council and of its committees.  If he/she is absent from any such meeting, one of the members present shall be elected to act as substitute.

TREASURER.—The Treasurer shall ensure that a true account of income and expenditure is kept, and shall be responsible for the receipt and bank­ing of all monies due to the Council.  He/she shall prepare the annual balance sheet and shall submit a financial statement whenever requested by the Executive Committee and in any case not less often than once every three months.  For the performance of these duties, the Treasurer shall be entitled to call for assistance from other Officers of the Council.

DOORKEEPER.—The Doorkeeper shall be responsible for the registration of members attending Executive Committee meetings and for the checking of the credentials of delegates attending meetings of the Council.

15.—CHEQUES

All cheques must be signed by at least two of the following officers: President, Vice-president,  Secretary, Treasurer.

16.—AUDITORS

The Council, at its Annual Meeting, shall appoint two Auditors, whose duty it shall be to audit all accounts and the Annual Financial Statement, to certify as to their correctness or otherwise, and to report upon their findings to the Annual Meeting of the Council.  Auditors need not be Delegates to the Council.

17.—EXPENSES OF DEPUTATIONS

Any delegate appointed to attend any meeting or to transact any business on behalf of the Council shall be allowed his/her out-of-pocket expenses, which must not exceed actual standard-class railway fare paid plus an allowance for reasonable expenses.  All such payments shall be subject to Executive Committee approval.

18,—DISCIPLINE

No delegate shall associate his/her name with any movement whatever as representing the Council, without the authority of the Council or Executive Committee.  The name of any delegate violating this rule shall be erased from the register of delegates.

19.—PROSCRIBED ORGANISATIONS

In no circumstances shall the Trades Union Council co-operate with or subscribe to the funds of any organisation whose policies or activities are contrary to those of Congress.  Nor shall the Trades Union Council co-operate with or subscribe to the funds of any political party other than^; the local Labour Party, with whom the Council may co-operate provided that no part of the funds of the Council derived from the general funds of affiliated trade unions shall be applied directly or indirectly in the furtherance of the political objects specified in section 3(3) of the Trade Union Act, 1913.

20.—ORDER OF BUSINESS AT COUNCIL MEETINGS

The recommended order of business for ordinary council meetings shall be:

1. Chairs Welcome

2. Apologies for absence

3.  Agree minutes of previous council meeting

4.  Note minutes of executive committee

5.  Matters arising from minutes

6.  Financial reports for Manchester Trades Union Council

7.  Campaign/Strike Reports

8.  Motions from affiliated trades unions

9.  Any Other Relevant Business

21.—ALTERATION OF RULES

No alteration of the rules shall be made except at an annual meeting, and then only upon a vote of two-thirds of the delegates present voting in favour of the proposed alteration.  Three months' notice shall be given to the Secretary of any proposed alteration of rule which it is desired shall be discussed at the Annual Meeting.

STANDING ORDERS

(1)            Ordinary meetings of the Council shall commence at 730pm and shall not continue after 9.30pm unless a special resolution to suspend this standing order is carried by a two-thirds majority vote.

(2)            The business of Ordinary Meetings of the Council shall be taken in the order in which it is set out on the agenda contained in the notice summoning the meeting.  The President shall decide at what point an Emergency Motion accepted for discussion shall be taken.  This standing order may be suspended by a special resolution of the Council.

(3)            A delegate, when speaking, shall stand and address the President. In the first place he/she shall state his/her name and the branch/organisation which .he/she represents.  When called to order he/she shall resume his/her seat until the point is decided.

(4)            The mover of any original motion, but not an amendment, shall have the right of reply, but no other delegate shall be allowed to speak more than once on the same question unless permission is given to explain, or on a point of order addressed to the President, when the remarks made must be strictly confined to the explanation or point of order.

(5)            Ten minutes shall be allowed to the mover of a motion and five minutes to each succeeding speaker.  The mover shall have five minutes to reply to the discussion but shall introduce no new matter into his/her reply.  The motion shall be put immediately the mover has replied.

(6)            If an amendment to a motion is moved, no further amendment shall be moved until the first amendment is disposed of. Whenever an amendment to a motion is declared to have been carried, the motion, as so amended, will thereupon become the substantive motion, to which a further amendment may be moved.

(7)            A delegate may, at any time, raise a point of order or ask a question, but must confine the point of order or question to the subject at that time before the Council.  He/she  shall  address the  President,   and  shall  introduce  his/her observations by "point of order" or "asking a question" as the case may be. The decision of the President on any point of order shall be final.

(8)            The motion "that the question be now put" may be moved at any time without notice, but the President shall have discretion to caution the Council not to accept this motion if, in his/her opinion, there has been insufficient discussion of the particular motion or amendment under debate. Subject to this discretionary motion under this standing order shall be immediately put to the vote and, if carried, shall take effect subject to any right of reply as provided for in these standing orders and the debate shall conclude and the vote be taken immediately thereafter.

(9)  In the case of the voting being equal the President may give a casting vote.