Rule 22

Trade Disputes

National Executive Committee Powers
1.  The National Executive Committee shall have power to inaugurate and conduct all trade movements between members of the Union and their employers and such other movements as, in the opinion of the National Executive Committee, affect the interests of the members of the Union. The method of conducting such movements shall be determined by the National Executive Committee as circumstances warrant.

Declaration of a Strike
2.    The National Executive Committee shall have power to declare strikes, to order and direct the members of the Union to withdraw their labour and to fix the date of such withdrawal following a ballot of its members. It shall be the paramount duty of every member of the Union to conform to such order and direction.

Power to Sanction
3.    The National Executive Committee, in addition and without prejudice to its powers as described in Clause 1 of this Rule shall have power to sanction and endorse retrospectively such trade movements, including strikes of members of the Union as may be submitted for their approval by any Branch or Branches of the Union. Such movements may be for all or any of the following purposes:

(a) to secure wage increases and to oppose wage reductions;

(b) to secure a reduction in the number of hours worked and to prevent the hours of work being increased;

(c) to remove unjust and oppressive conditions of employment and to secure a safe working environment for the Union’s members.

Protection of Interests
4.    The National Executive Committee may take such steps as may be considered necessary for protecting the interests of the Union members. It may represent the views of members within any agreed Machinery of Negotiation or representation to which the Union is party. The National Executive Committee may also advocate the views and the interests of Union members in any arbitration proceedings in which they have a pertinent interest.

Settling Disputes
5. The conduct of any of these trade movements shall be in accordance with guidelines issued by the Annual General Meeting or the National Executive Committee to members employed as defined in Rule 2, Clause 1.

Conduct of Disputes

6. The conduct of any of these trade movements shall be in accordance with guidelines issued by the Annual General Meeting or the National Executive Committee to members employed as defined in Rule 2, Clause 1.

Dispute Fund Payments
7.    Each To assist with financial hardship, the National Executive Committee shall have full discretionary power to determine and make payments from the Dispute Fund to members who participate in industrial action in accordance with a decision of the National Executive Committee or General Meeting.

Payment Method and Amount Payable
8. The method and amount payable to members defined in Clause 7 of this Rule shall be determined by the National Executive Committee.

Decision of National Executive Committee
9. None of the discretions, powers or authorities vested in the National Executive Committee under the provisions of these Rules shall be capable of being controlled, nor shall any order made or decision arrived at by the National Executive Committee in connection with any of the matters provided for in this section of the Rule be controlled, reversed, or suspended otherwise than by an appeal to the Annual General Meeting, or by the exercise of the powers of a Special General Meeting as hereinbefore provided.

Contract of Membership
10. This Rule shall constitute an integral part of the contract of membership between the Union and each of its members as well as the contract of membership between member and member.

Failure to Comply

11. Failure on the part of any member of the Unionto comply with any order or direction of the National Executive Committee issued in accordance with these Rules may be dealt with as laid down in Rule 2, Clauses 25 to 28.