Format1. The Executive Council shall decide the venue and date of each Annual General Meeting of Representatives (hereafter annual meeting).
2. The Standing Orders Committee will issue a Preliminary Notice to Regional Committees at least 22 weeks before the annual meeting is due to be held. Such Preliminary Notice to inform Regional Committees of the closing dates for the receipt of resolutions, amendments and delegates names.
3. The Standing Orders Committee, shall issue a preliminary agenda containing resolutions received from Regional Committees to all relevant Branches and delegates at least eight weeks before the annual meeting is due to take place.
4. Resolutions, amendments and other business for the annual meeting must be submitted only after consideration by meetings of the Regional membership/representatives of the section concerned, and must be signed by two Officials of the Regional Committee by whom they are submitted. Resolutions must deal with one subject only and not be of omnibus nature.
5. Regional Committees shall not be allowed to submit more than three resolutions for inclusion on the agenda.
6. Resolutions and amendments submitted by Regional Committees for inclusion on the agenda of the annual meeting must consist of matters primarily concerning the particular membership grouping for whom the annual meeting is being held. The decision of the Standing Orders Committee in this respect shall be final.
7. Regional Committees shall not be allowed to submit more than three amendments to Resolutions for inclusion on the final agenda of the annual meeting.
8. The Standing Orders Committee shall issue a final agenda containing all resolutions and amendments accepted for inclusion on the final agenda. Following consultation with the Official responsible for the section holding the annual meeting, the Standing Orders Committee shall also issue a programme of business and list of appointed delegates to all relevant Branches and delegates at least two weeks before the annual meeting is due to take place.
9. Notwithstanding the above Standing Order, the Executive Council or any Regional committee, subject to the approval of the Standing Orders Committee, shall be permitted to submit Emergency Resolutions for the consideration of the delegates. Emergency Resolutions from Regions may only be submitted with the authority of the Regional Committee concerned and must be signed by two Officials of that Regional Committee.
10. The Standing Orders Committee may accept Emergency Resolutions of a general nature if that Emergency Resolution does not affect the Conditions of Service of other membership groupings within the Union and is not, more properly, a matter for the Annual Conference of the Union. The decision of the Standing Orders Committee in this respect shall be final.
11. Regional Committees are required to co-operate with the Standing Orders Committee in order that resolutions of a similar nature shall be composited. The Standing Orders Committee shall if necessary call delegates to a Compositing meeting on the evening before the annual meeting is due to commence. Any Regional Committee which ignores a written request from the Standing Orders Committee to consider a proposed composite resolution and fails to attend the Compositing meeting shall have its resolution removed the agenda.
12. The Standing Orders Committee will circulate to the delegates attending, copies of the Composite Motions they have approved.
13. The order in which resolutions are to be discussed shall be decided by the Standing Orders Committee in consultation with the Official responsible for the section holding the annual meeting.
14. The Standing Orders Committee shall submit to the Chair of the annual meeting a programme of resolutions approved by them as being in accordance with the Rules and Standing Orders, together with all suggestions for the proper conduct of the business.
15. The Chair of the annual meeting shall be the Chair of the relevant Sectional Committee or in his/her absence the Vice-Chair.
16. Senior Officials of the Union may address the annual meeting prior to the debating of resolutions. No debate on issues covered by resolutions shall take place until the resolutions are called.
17. The General Secretary (or his/her representative) shall be permitted to speak for 20 minutes. Other speakers shall be permitted to speak for 10 minutes. The Chair of the meeting at his/her discretion may take questions to the speaker who shall have a right to reply.
18. The Mover of the resolution shall be allowed 10 minutes, the Seconder 7 minutes and any or each succeeding speaker 5 minutes. No delegates shall speak more than once on a resolution except the Mover of the original proposition, who alone shall have the right to reply.
19. The method of voting shall be by show of hands.
20. The annual meeting will be in session from 10.00 hours until 12.30 hours and from 14.00 hours until 16.00 hours.
21. There shall be no smoking in the room whilst the annual meeting is in session.
22. At the closure of the annual meeting, any remaining business shall be remitted to the Executive Council.
23. Following the annual meeting, all decisions shall be referred to the Executive Council for their consideration.
24. Following the annual meeting, the Executive Council shall distribute to all delegates and the relevant Branches of the Union, a record of the decisions of the annual meeting.
25. These Standing Orders, with the exception of Standing Orders Nos. 6, 9 and 10 may be suspended, if such suspension is agreed to by at least two thirds of the delegates attending the annual meeting.
30.10.03
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