Two important documents have been circulated through UNITE's officers. The first is the schedule of meetings for 2015, which includes dates which have been fixed for some events, and the windows within which other meetings must take place to minimise clashes. The second is the timetable of events for the coming three-year cycle - including the election of branch officers and workplace representatives which forms the foundation of the union structure.
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS 2015
Executive Council (EC) and Finance & General Purposes Committee (F&GP) Meetings:
15 January 2015 F&GP
12 February 2015 F&GP
9-13 March 2015 EC
16 April 2015 F&GP
14 May 2015 F&GP
8-12 June 2015 EC
16 July 2015 F&GP
3 September 2015 F&GP
7-11 September 2015 EC (NB: may change)
15 October 2015 F&GP
12 November 2015 F&GP
7-12 December 2015 EC
Other major events:
18-20 March 2015: UNITE National Equalities Conferences
7 May 2015: UK General Election
6-10 July 2015: UNITE Rules Conference
13-16 September 2015: Trades Union Congress
27-30 September 2015: Labour Party Conference
23-25 November 2015: UNITE National Industrial Sector Conferences
UNITE CONSTITUTIONAL TIMETABLE
I have a page with information about UNITE's structures which may be useful background.
A lot of UNITE's structures operate on a 3-year cycle.
The existence of three sectors which did not exist in their current for at the time of the last cycle (Automotive, GEMS and GPM&IT), there will need to be changes to the format of committees at national and regional level. This will not only impact on sector committees but potentially also Area Activist Committees (AACs) and Regional Equality Committees. Any group that wishes to vary its composition will need to join the consultation process, with all proposals for change approved by the EC at its June 2015 meeting at the latest.
By 30 June 2015
The bedrock of the union's structure is the election of branch officers and representatives within the workplace. These must be all be elected by June 2015 to take office from 1 July 2015. Branch officers serve for a three-year term. Representatives within the workplace serve for a three year term unless a shorter term is determined locally.
Branch officers include:
- Chair
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Equalities
Officer
Representatives in the workplace include:
- shop
steward (or "workplace representative”/“father/mother-of-the-chapel”,
etc., where such phrases are the local colloquial term for such representative
as represents members in bargaining and disciplinary and grievance matters)
- health
and safety representative
- equalities
representative
- learning
representative
- environmental
representative.
The election of branch officers and reps provides the foundation for attendance and participation in nearly all the union's other structures.
September 2015
Regions
to convene:
- Regional
Industrial Sector Conferences
- Regional
Women’s Conference
- Regional
BAEM Conference
- Regional
Disabled Members’ Conference
- Regional
LGBT Conference
- Regional
Triennial Area Activists’ Meetings
- Regional
Young Members’ Conference
- Regional
Retired Members’ Conference
To
ensure full participation, Equalities Conferences must not be scheduled to take
place at the same time as the Sector Conferences or Activists’ Meetings;
therefore, Regional Equalities Conferences may run into October if required. The
timetable for these conferences and meetings for each region will be published
on the Unite Website.
Conferences/Meetings
will elect the new RISCs, AACs or Regional Equalities Committees. The term of
office of those elected to these Committees is for three years starting from
September 2015.
Committees
should meet quarterly in September/December/March/June; the last meeting of the
period being June 2018.
Regions
should liaise with appropriate National Officials regarding the scheduling of Regional
Sector and Equalities Conferences.
The
first meeting of the new RISCs/AACs/Regional Equalities Committees should take place
immediately after the Conference/Meeting to elect:
- Chair
and Vice-chair
- Delegates
and Observers (as appropriate) to the Regional Committee
- Delegates
to the appropriate NISC or National Equalities Committee, inc National Young
Members’ Committee and National Retired Members’ Committee
October 2015
First
meeting of new:
- Regional
Committees
- National
Industrial Sector Committees
- National
Equalities Committees (inc National Young Members’ Committee and National
Retired Members’ Committee)
The
term of office of those elected to these Committees is for three years starting
from October 2015. Committees should meet quarterly in
October/January/April/July; the last meeting of the period being July 2018.
2015 NATIONAL CONFERENCES
National Equalities
Conferences
The
National Equalities Conference shall take place at the Winter Gardens
Eastbourne and the Unite Eastbourne Centre on 18 – 20 March 2015. A separate paper will be taken with the
Equalities Report for consideration.
Rules Conference
The Statutory
Rules Conference will be held in the Brighton Centre, Brighton from 6 – 10 July
2015. The December Executive Council
meeting shall determine the scheme of representation at the conference. The deadline for election of delegates and
receipt of proposed amendments to rule will be 3rd April 2015.
Industrial Sector Conferences
The National
Industrial Sector Conferences shall take place from 23 to 25 November 2015 in
the Brighton Centre, Brighton. The
deadline for elections of delegates and submission of motions for the
conferences shall be end of September 2015.
Unite Constitutional
Conferences & Elections – for next 2 electoral periods
Current Constitutional Conferences &
Elections
- EC
Elections - every 3 years (elected 2014, next elections 2017)
- Workplace
& Branch Rep Elections – every 3 years (next elections 2015)
- Policy
Conferences - every 2 years (next conference
2016)
- Rules
Conference - every 4 years (next conference 2015)
- National
Sector Conferences - every 2 years (next conferences 2015)
- National
Equalities Conferences - every 2 years (next conferences 2015)
- National
Retired Members Conference - every 2 years (next conference 2015)
- Regional
Industrial Sector Conferences/Elections - every 3 years (next conferences 2015)
- Regional
Equality Conferences/Elections – every 3 years (next conferences 2015)
- Area
Activists Meetings/Elections – every 3 years (next conference 2015)
- Regional
Retired Conferences/Elections – every 3 years (next conference 2015)
- Regional
Political Conferences/Elections - every 3 years (next conferences 2017)
Yearly Conferences/Elections
Timetable;
2014 EC Elections (Jan - Inaugural Council
Meeting June)
Regional Political Conferences - Political
Committee Elections (Feb)
National Equality Conference (May)
Policy Conference
(June)
2015 GENERAL ELECTION MAY
National Equalities Conferences (18 – 20 March,
Eastbourne) (See separate paper) (National Young Members Conference w/c 6th
April 2015, Eastbourne)
Rules Conference (6 – 10 July, Brighton) (Deadline for
Receipt of Motions and election of Delegates 3rd April 2015)
Election off Reps/Branch Officers (by June)
Regional Industrial Sector Conferences -
Constitutional Committees Elections/Inaugural RISC Meeting (Sept)
Regional Equalities Conferences -
Constitutional Committees Elections/Inaugural Equality Meeting (Sept)
Area Activists Meetings - Constitutional
Committees Elections/Inaugural AA Committee Meeting (Sept)
Regional Retired Members Conferences –
Constitutional Committee Elections/Inaugural Committee Meeting (Sept)
Regional Committee (Inaugural meeting Oct)
National Industrial Sector Conferences (23 – 25
November, Brighton) (Deadline for receipt of Motions and Election of delegates
end September 2015)
2016 Policy Conference – 11 – 15 July,
Birmingham
Regional Political Conferences - Political
Committee Elections (Feb)
National Retired Members Conference (Aug)
2017 EC Election (Jan Inaugural Council Meeting March)
National Equalities Conferences
(June/July) (National Young Members Conference)
National Industrial Sector
Conferences (November)
2018 GS Election (April)
Policy Conference June/July
Election off Reps/Branch officers (June)
Regional Industrial Sector Conferences -
Constitutional Committees Elections/Inaugural RISC Meeting (Sept)
Regional Equalities Conferences -
Constitutional Committees Elections/Inaugural Equality Meeting (Sept)
Area Activists Meetings - Constitutional
Committees Elections/Inaugural AA Committee Meeting (Sept)
Regional Retired Members Conferences –
Constitutional Committee Elections/Inaugural Committee Meeting (Sept)
Regional Committee (Inaugural meeting Oct)
2019 Rules
Conference (June/July)
Regional Political Conferences - Political
Committee Elections (Feb)
National Retired Members Conference (Aug)
National Equality Conferences (June)
National Sector Conferences (Nov)
2020 EC Election (Jan Inaugural Council Meeting
March)
Policy
Conference (June/July)
2021 Election off Reps/Branch officers
(by June)
Regional Industrial Sector Conferences -
Constitutional Committees Elections/Inaugural RISC Meeting (Sept)
Regional Equalities Conferences -
Constitutional Committees Elections/Inaugural Equality Meeting (Sept)
Area Activists Meetings - Constitutional
Committees Elections/Inaugural AA Committee Meeting (Sept)
Regional Retired Members Conferences –
Constitutional Committee Elections/Inaugural Committee Meeting (Sept)
Regional Committee (Inaugural meeting Oct)
National Equality Conferences (June) (National
Young Members Conference)
National Sector Conferences (Nov)
