The executive committee are in the process of reviewing and updating the ETUC constitution.
EDINBURGH TRADE UNION COUNCIL
CONSTITUTION AND STANDING ORDERS
MARCH 2021
CONSTITUTION
1. The name shall be the EDINBURGH TRADE UNION COUNCIL (hereinafter
called the Council).
2. OBJECTS – The objects of the Council shall be:
(a) To promote the interests of trade unionism;
(b) To secure the united efforts of all affiliated organisations in the promotion of those
interests; and
(c) To further the policies and practices of the Scottish Trade Union Congress.
3. COMPOSITION –
The Council shall be composed of:
a) Delegates from affiliated Trade Unions or branches of Trade Unions. Repre-
sentation shall be on the basis of one delegate for the first fifty members or part thereof;
one additional delegate for the second fifty members or part thereof; and one further del-
egate for each succeeding one hundred members or part thereof.
b) Delegates from joint trade union or joint shop stewards committees. Repre-
sentation shall be on the basis of two delegates per committee.
4. AFFILIATION FEE –
a) Affiliation fees to the Council for category 3 (a) shall be at the rate of forty pence
per member per annum on the total membership residing or working in the City of
Edinburgh. Such fees shall be payable in advance.
b) The affiliation fee for category 3 (b) shall be a minimum of £ 20.00 per annum.
Such fee shall be payable in advance.
5. APPOINTMENT OF DELEGATES – Conditions of appointment of delegates to the
Council shall be:(a) Delegates must be bona fide members or paid officials of the organisation
appointing them.
(b) No delegate shall act as a delegate for more than one organisation.
(c) Delegates must conform to the rules of the Council.
(d) On appointment, each delegate’s name and address shall be sent to the Council
Secretary, who, after delegate’s credentials have been endorsed by the Council,
will issue delegate’s credential cards for the current year to the Secretary of the ap-
pointing organisation.
(e) Affiliated organisations may appoint a substitute in the event of an accredited
delegate being unable to attend a meeting.
(f) Retiring delegates shall return credential cards to the Secretary appointing them;
which Secretary shall be responsible for returning cards to the Secretary of the
Council.
(g) No duplicate credential card shall be issued unless the Secretary of the appointing
organisation and the Council are satisfied that every effort has been made to
recover the original card.
6. ATTENDANCE – Delegates shall complete a delegates attendance form and return
the form to the Attendance Officer.
The Secretary shall keep a record of attendances at Council meetings. This record
shall be issued to affiliated organisations in respect of their own delegates, following
the December meeting.
7. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – The Council shall appoint an Executive Committee
consisting of officers and six additional ordinary members.
(a) Executive Committee members, who feel themselves in serious disagreement with
a majority Executive Committee decision, may have their dissent recorded. At
Council meetings they may express their point of view, but shall not be permitted
to vote against such majority Executive Committee decisions.
(b) Any member of the Executive Committee, who is absent from three consecutive
Committee meetings without satisfactory explanation, shall be deemed to have
vacated office.
(c) Casual Executive Committee vacancies, if occurring within the first three months
after an Annual General Meeting, shall be filled by co-opting the unsuccessful can-didate for office who received the highest vote at that Annual Meeting in their gory. Casual vacancies occurring at any other time shall be filled by Council.
cate-
(d) Four members of the Executive shall complete a Quorum.
8. OFFICERS – The Officers of the Council shall include Chairperson, Vice- Chair-
person, Secretary/Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary.
The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary/ Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and six
Executive Committee members (all of whom shall be accredited delegates to the
Council) shall be elected by ballot at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.
9. AUDITORS – The Council shall appoint a qualified person to audit the Coun-
cil’s Books.
10. TRUSTEES – The Council shall appoint five Trustees. They shall include the
Chairperson and Secretary. The remaining three Trustees – who shall be accredited
delegates to the Council – shall be elected by ballot at the Annual Meeting of the
Council.
(a) The property, funds, fixtures and fittings and any other assets belonging to the
Council shall be vested in the Trustees for the benefit of the Edinburgh Trade
Union Council.
(b) The Trustees have the power, on the instruction of Council, to borrow and raise
money in any manner of way and to secure the repayment of any money
borrowed, raised or owing by mortgage, charge, standard security, assignation,
pledge lien or other security upon the whole or any part of the Council’s property,
undertaking, revenue, or assets (whether present or future).
11. TELLERS – The Council shall appoint two Tellers. They shall be appointed at
each Annual Meeting and shall officiate at that meeting and at all Council meetings
prior to the subsequent Annual Meeting. In the event of their absence, substitutes
will be appointed from the body of the meeting.
12. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS – The duties of the Officers shall include the following:
(a) The Chairperson shall preside at all Council and Executive Committee meetings.
He/She shall sign all Minutes after confirmation. In his/her absence, his/her place
shall be taken by the Vice-Chairperson.
(b) The Assistant Secretary shall keep the Minutes. He/She shall assist the Secretary
and act for him/her in the event of the Secretary’s unavoidable absence.
13. DUTIES OF SECRETARY/TREASURER(a) The Secretary/Treasurer shall be present at all Council and Executive Committee
meetings. He/She shall conduct all correspondence, prepare the Annual Report,
act as Executive Officer for the general business of the Council, and see to it at all times
that its best interests are upheld.
(b) The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep an account of all money received. He/She
shall regularly bank such money in the name of the Council and ensure that cash
withdrawals from the bank are by cheque signed by himself/herself and one
Trustee. He/She shall prepare the Annual Financial Accounts – audited by the
Council’s Auditors – and any other such financial statements as the Executive
Committee may request from time to time.
(c) The Secretary shall be allowed to vote at Council meetings.
14. NOMINATIONS FOR OFFICE –
(a) Nominations for office to be filled by ballot at the Annual Meeting shall be made
in writing a month prior to the Annual General Meeting by an affiliated branch.
(b) A delegate to the Trades Council can be nominated to be an official and an
ordinary Executive Committee member
(c) If a nominee is elected as an official he/she will be deleted from subsequent
ballots.
(d) No delegate shall be eligible for election to any office unless he/she has attended
at least 50% of the Council meetings during the twelve months prior to the elec-
tion.
Bona fide reasons for absence from meetings shall count as attendances.
(e) Nominees for office must sign a declaration form indicating their willingness to
serve in the office for which they are nominated, such declaration form to be issued
by the Secretary to all nominees prior to the Annual General Meeting.
15. DELEGATIONS AND DEPUTATIONS – Delegates attending Conferences, repre-
senting Council on Deputations, or transacting other business on behalf of Council,
shall be allowed lost wages and out of pocket expenses – subject to a maximum de-
termined by Council. Travelling and overnight allowances shall be as determined by
Council.
16. MEETINGS – The Council shall meet eleven times a year in every month except
July.
(a) The Executive Committee shall meet two weeks prior to each statutory Council
meeting.(b) The statutory meeting in March shall be the Annual General Meeting.
(c) Special meetings of the Council may be called at the discretion of the Council or
the Executive Committee.
(d) Special or additional meetings of the Executive may be called at the discretion of
the Executive Committee.
(e) The election of delegates to the STUC shall take place at the February meeting.
17. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – Arrangements for the Annual General Meeting
shall be as follows:
(a) Ballot papers shall be issued from 7 pm and shall be uplifted at 8 pm. No ballot
papers shall be issued after 8 pm.
(b) Additional tellers shall be appointed by Council to assist scrutineers.
(c) Chairperson’s Address
(d) Secretary’s Report.
(e) Financial Report.
18. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
a) Amendments to the constitution shall only be decided at the AGM except for those
amendments submitted by the Executive Committee, that are required for legal
reasons or by the Scottish Trades Union Congress, which can be decided at a Special
General Meeting.
b) Amendments, in the form of a motion, must be submitted by either an affiliated
organisation or the Executive Committee.
c) Proposals to amend the constitution must be received in writing by the Secretary at
least twelve weeks before the AGM, or before a General Meeting specially
convened to debate the proposals, and must be issued by the Secretary to all affili-
ated organisations.
d) Any proposal(s) for amendment(s) to the constitution must receive the assent of at
least two thirds of the delegates present before it (they) can be agreed.
19. HONORARIUMS – The Officers shall receive such honorariums as may be deter-
mined by Council.20. PROSCRIBED ORGANISATIONS – The Council shall not enter into affiliation,
association, or any form of alliance or co-operative effort with any organisation
proscribed by the Scottish Trade Union Congress.
21. ASSETS OF THE COUNCIL –
a) For the avoidance of doubt Council will not distribute monies or property
( whether heritable or moveable) of the Council to affiliates for their benefit during
the continuance and existence of the Council.
b) On the dissolution of the Council by whatsoever means the net assets of the
Council, after satisfying all creditors, shall be transferred to a charitable organisation
with similar aims to the Council in the field of education and training.