Rule 12

INDUSTRIAL ORGANISING Conferences

Number and Titles (General Grades)1. There shall be established Industrial Organising Conferences to which Branches and Regional Councils with members in the grades referred to below shall affiliate as follows:-

(a) National Freight and Logistics Industrial Organising Conference, covering all grades within the Freight and Logistics Industry;

(b) National Bus Workers Industrial Organising Conference, covering all grades within the Road Passenger Transport Industry;

(c) National Industrial Organising Conference of Catering Grades covering all grades within those departments;

(d) National Industrial Organising Conference of Engineering Grades;

(e) National Industrial Organising Conference of Signalling and Operations Grades;

(f)  National Industrial Organising Conference of Train Crews and Shunting Grades;

(g) National Industrial Organising Conference of Station and Associated Grades;

(h) National Industrial Organising Conference of Supervisory, Clerical and other Salaried Grades (including professional and technical and management ranges and all salaried members not catered for in the other Conferences);

(i) National Industrial Organising Conference of Transport Cleaning Workers covering all cleaning grades within all transport sectors;

and such other Conferences as the National Executive Committee may from time to time determine.

Dissolution
2.    The National Executive Committee may dissolve any Industrial Organising Conference, considered to be unnecessary or undesirable and may amalgamate or re-arrange Industrial Organising Conferences.

Items Germane
3. An Industrial Organising Conference shall be confined to matters germane to the grades concerned. An Industrial Organising Conference must conform to national policy as determined by the decisions of the Annual General Meeting or the National Executive Committee.

Primary Role

4.  The primary role of the Industrial Organising Conferences for their delegated sectors is to develop strategies for the better Union organisation of workers in their sectors; develop strategies for learning, education and training of Representatives and activists; develop networking and communication between Representatives and activists; to report on these, and other relevant matters, to the National Executive Committee as proposals in support of the Union’s national organising strategy.

Powers
5. An Industrial Organising Conference shall not have executive authority and shall not conduct negotiations with any employer or group of employers. Subject to the other provisions of these Rules, the matters to be dealt with by each Conference will be determined by the affiliated Branches and Regional Councils and the Conference itself.

By-Laws
6. Each Industrial Organising Conference may make by-laws for the government of its affairs, subject to the by-laws being approved by the General Secretary or the National Executive Committee and be strictly consistent with these Rules.

Resolutions to AGM
7. An Industrial Organising Conference shall be eligible to submit two items germane to Conference and carried by that Conference for the agenda of the Annual General Meeting, subject to the provisions of Rule 3, Clause 6, if it so desires. Other decisions of Industrial Organising Conferences shall be placed before the National Executive Committee for consideration, but the Conferences shall have no governing or controlling power over any member, Branch, Regional Council or Official.

Expenses
8. Except in the case of the Biennial Maritime and Biennial Offshore Industrial Organising Conferences, the expenses of each Conference shall be defrayed by affiliation fees collected from Branches and distributed to each Conference by Head Office. The cost of printing and distribution to Branches and Regional Councils of the circulars convening the Conference, the agendas and the decisions of the Conference shall be borne by the General Fund.

Financial Assistance
9. The National Executive Committee may supplement the income of Industrial Organising Conferences as circumstances warrant.

Delegates
10. Each Branch and Regional Council shall be entitled to send representatives to each Industrial Organising Conference covering the grades which the Branch or Regional Council has in membership. Each Industrial Organising Conference shall fix the venue and date of its meetings.

Balance Sheet
11. The Secretary shall, by a date to be determined every year, render to every Branch and Regional Council affiliated to the Industrial Organising Conference, and to the General Secretary, a true and accurate account of the receipts and expenditure of the Industrial Organising Conference for the twelve months ended the previous 31st December.

Bank Account and Monies

12.  Each Industrial Organising Conference shall open an account with the Union’s bankers in its own name which shall be operated by means of cheques signed by the President and Secretary. The Secretary shall, within five days from receipt, pay into the bank account every sum received on behalf of the Industrial Organising Conference and shall not retain any sum in excess of £10 for current expenditure.

13.The Secretary shall at all times on demand produce and, if required, deliver up to any Officer of the Union nominated by the General Secretary, all monies, books, papers and documents of the Industrial Organising Conference and the Union held by the Secretary.

Officers’ Remuneration
14. The Officers of the Industrial Organising Conference shall receive such remuneration for their services as may be determined by the Industrial Organising Conference.

Common Property, confidentiality, circulars and addresses

15.The provisions of Rule 10, Clauses 28, 33 and 34 shall apply to every Industrial Organising Conference and, for the purpose of such application, an Industrial Organising Grades Conference shall be deemed to be a Branch within the meaning of the Rule.

Non Interference
16.  An Industrial Organising Conference shall not interfere in the affairs of the Annual General Meeting or other governing body of the Union or prejudice the right of Branches to nominate candidates or otherwise interfere in any Union election. Neither shall it interfere in the affairs of the annual meetings of the Trades Union Congress or the Scottish Trade Union Congress.

Liaison Committees
17. Each Industrial Organising Conference shall appoint a Liaison Committee of not more than six members representative of all the grades within the Conference to meet once during the year following Conference or at such other time as the National Executive Committee may decide with the appropriate representatives of the National Executive Committee and National Officers:  the cost of any such meeting will be paid from the General Fund. Members of the Liaison Committee shall be paid expenses for authorised meetings in accordance with Rule 14, Clauses 26, 27, 29 & 30.

Biennial Shipping Grades Conference
18. There shall be a Maritime Industrial Organising Conference which shall be held biennially. The Biennial Conference shall be held at such place and time as may be determined by the National Executive Committee, and shall not exceed more than five days. 

Delegates
19. The number of delegates which shall represent a Branch at the Biennial Conference or a Special Conference shall be determined by the National Executive Committee, in accordance with the number of members whose names are entered in the Branch Electoral Register. General Grades Docks and Shipping members representation at the Conference shall be determined by the National Executive Committee.

Election of Delegates
20. The delegates to the Biennial Conference shallbe elected in accordance with Rule 13, Clauses 1 - 2 and 63 - 64. Each delegate shall have only one vote on any issue before the meeting.

Chairperson
21. The delegates elected to the Biennial Conference shall elect one of their number as Chairperson of the Biennial Conference.

Attendance of General Secretary
22. The General Secretary shall attend and have the right to speak but not to vote at a Biennial or Special Conference.

Resolutions
23. No Branch shall submit more than three motions to a Biennial or Special Conference.

Powers

24. The Biennial Conference shall:

(a)  receive and discuss the report of activities submitted by the General Secretary on behalf of the National Executive Committee;

(b)  discuss and decide upon the motions received from Shipping Grade Branches;

(c)  refer its decisions to the Annual or Special General Meeting, the National Executive Committee or the General Secretary as may be appropriate

(d)    appoint sub-committees when considered necessary.

Decisions
25. The decisions of the Biennial Conference shall not require the National Executive Committee, or any Official to act contrary to Union policy as determined or approved by its governing bodies.

Costs and Expenses
26. The cost of the Biennial Conference shall be a charge on the General Fund of the Union and the delegates attending shall be reimbursed in accordance with the provisions of Rule 14, Clauses 26, 27, 29 & 30.

Special Conference
27. A Special Maritime Industrial Organising Conference, delegates to which shall be elected in accordance with the Rules governing the election of delegates to the Biennial Grade Conference may, if absolutely necessary, be convened by the National Executive Committee. A Special Shipping Grade Conference shall only conduct the business stated on the notice convening the meeting.

By-Laws, Dissolution etc
28.  Clauses 2 to 7 and 17 of this Rule shall also apply to the Biennial Maritime Industrial Organising Conference.

Biennial Offshore Grades Conference
29. There shall be an Offshore Industrial Organising Conference which shall be held biennially. The Biennial Conference shall be held at such place and time as may be determined by the National Executive Committee, and shall not exceed five days.