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Eastern regional committee constitution

In March 2011 the NEC agreed a new model regional constitution as detailed below. The PCS Eastern regional committee constitution was ratified by regional branch delegates at the annual general meeting on Friday 3 June 2011.

  1. Title
  2. Status and membership
  3. Functions
  4. Committee composition
  5. Officers
  6. Voting
  7. Meetings
  8. Regional TUC
  9. Support and Funding
  10. Amendments
  11. Annex B - Town/Area Campaign Groups
  12. Annex C – Model Regional Committee Agenda

1. Title

The title of the Committee shall be the Public and Commercial Services Union (hereinafter referred to as PCS) Eastern Regional Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee).

2. Status and Membership

  1. The Committee shall be governed by the national rules of PCS and will at all times conduct its business in accordance with PCS rules and policy as decided by conference and the PCS National Executive Committee.
  2. The Committee shall cover branches with members working in the geographical areas listed in the annex A. (PCS Eastern region details from annex A:
  • The counties of Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. 
  • The Unitary Authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock)
  1. To be nominated to the Committee individuals must be: -

a) already a Group or Branch official elected in accordance with the rules of the union;

b) employed in the Eastern region.

  1. The Committee shall have an NEC Member allocated as an NEC Liaison Officer.
  2. Members of the NEC based in the Eastern region will be entitled to attend meetings of the Committee and to participate in discussions.

3. Functions

The functions of the Committee shall be to: -

  1. Advise, assist and help coordinate the work of the appropriate PCS Regional Centre on the priorities for PCS in the Eastern region in relation to recruitment, organisation, education and campaigns in accordance with national strategies and conference policy.
  2. Establish and support a network of town committees/campaign groups within the Eastern region. Such groups will utilise annex B for their composition and objectives.
  3. Work with and support the work of PCS Regional Equality Networks
  4. Co-ordinate the PCS approach in the Eastern region for dealing with any devolved tiers of government and any other bodies in which PCS is entitled to participate.
  5. Co-ordinate the PCS approach in the Eastern region for dealing with the TUC Regions and to promote the maximum participation of Branches and members in the activities of the TUC and their local trades councils.
  6. Co-ordinate the PCS approach in the Eastern region for working with the communities in which our members live and work, dealing with community; anti-racist and other bodies and institutions, including those organisations to which PCS is affiliated.
  7. Work with and assist the NEC to help to co-ordinate national campaign activity.

4. Committee Composition

  1. The Committee shall consist of 12 elected members plus the Officers. Branches covered by the Committee will be invited to submit nominations. The Committee and Officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Committee.
  2. If less than one seat for ordinary members of the Committee would be filled by a member, who on being nominated identified themselves as being from a black racial group, the highest polling member who did so identify themselves shall displace the member with fewest votes (out of those who would otherwise have been elected) who did not so identify themselves (only if such replacement member is available).
  3. After the application of Rule 4. ii), no more than 4 members of the Committee (including officers) can be filled by members from the same employer (See Note 1). This rule shall not operate so as to reduce below one the number of seats filled by members who on being nominated identified themselves as being from a black racial group.
  4. There shall be 2 seats on the Committee reserved for Committee Members (when nominated) who are from the branches of PCS Occupational Associations (Commercial Sector, CMSOA & PSg).
  5. Any PCS member who is elected to the relevant TUC Regional Council or its committees will be invited to attend meetings of the Committee and to participate in discussions.
  6. In addition to Rule 4. ii), where there are established regional tiers of approved equality networks within the union, they shall be entitled to appoint/elect an observer to attend Committee meetings (See Note 2). Observers are allowed to participate in debates and activities but shall not vote.
  7. Branches covered by the Committee are entitled to send observers to Committee meetings, who may participate but shall not vote.

Note 1 – If, in the view of the Chair and Secretary, this limitation could not be effected in a given year, the region concerned should seek authority from the General Secretary and National President to suspend this clause.

Note 2 – As at March 2011, approved Equality Networks consist of ‘Black’, ‘Disabled’, ‘LGBT’ and ‘Young’ Members.

5. Officers

  1. The Officers of the Committee will comprise of a Chair, 3 Vice Chairs and a Secretary. The Secretary shall be a PCS Full Time Officer appointed by the General Secretary.
  2. The Officers may meet to conduct the business of the Committee in between Committee meetings.
  3. The NEC Liaison Officer and NEC Members who are also Committee Members may attend Officers meetings.
  4. The Officers will be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and take up office from the close of the AGM. If nominations have not been received for any position then nominations can be accepted at the meeting.
  5. The Committee has the power to fill Officer vacancies during the year.

6. Voting

  1. The Committee shall seek to reach decisions by consensus. In the event of a vote being required, it will be by a show of hands. Only elected Committee Officers and Members may vote. NEC Members, Equality Network representatives and Regional TUC Members may not vote. If there is a tied vote, the chair will have a casting vote.
  2. Voting on motions at the AGM will be by a show of hands and on the basis of one Branch, one vote.
  3. Where nominations received in advance of the AGM exceed available posts, ballot papers will be prepared with voting on the basis of one branch, one vote of those attending the meeting.

7. Meetings

  1. There shall be at least four meetings of the Committee every year in June, September, December and March. The June meeting will be the Annual General Meeting at which the election of the Committee and Officers will take place.
  2. Each branch with members employed in the Eastern region shall be entitled to send one delegate (who must also be employed in the Eastern region) to the AGM.
  3. Each meeting of the Committee shall receive a report of NEC business from the NEC Liaison Officer.
  4. A notice convening meetings of the Committee and an Agenda (a model agenda is contained as Annex C) shall be sent to those eligible to attend and to relevant Branch Secretaries for information, not less than fourteen days prior to the meeting.
  5. A special meeting of the Committee may be convened at the discretion of the Committee’s Officers or at the request of the NEC. Discussions shall be confined to the items notified in the Agenda.
  6. Meetings of the Committee may consider motions submitted to it from its Branches. In all cases motions must have been agreed at a properly constituted Branch or Workplace General Meeting. The subject of any motion considered by the Committee must be consistent with the Committee’s functions and received at least 14 days prior to a Committee Meeting to appear on that Agenda.

8. Regional TUC

  1. It shall be the responsibility of the Committee to elect delegates to the Regional TUC in addition to the Secretary (or their nominee) who will automatically be a delegate.
  2. The Committee are responsible for making appointments for any other positions in the Regional TUC.
  3. The Secretary will be responsible for forwarding all nominations to the TUC and reporting them to the NEC.
  4. Arrangements for the Scotland and Wales TUC’s are the responsibility of Annual Delegate Conference and the NEC.

9. Support and Funding

  1. The Committee will have an NEC approved budget to fund the costs of Committee Members and Officers. This shall be the responsibility of the Secretary to administer and authorise payments.
  2. Full Time Officers and staff from the appropriate PCS Regional Centre shall provide secretarial support and attend meetings of the Committee as and when required.

10. Amendments

The Annual General Meeting of the Committee may recommend to the NEC, changes to the composition of the Committee and it’s elected Officers.

Annex B - Town/Area Campaign Groups

It is the responsibility of the Committee to set up and develop town/area campaign groups. Town/area networks of representatives may choose to operate on an informal basis rather than adopt a formal Town Committee Constitution.

Composition

These campaign groups will consist of representatives nominated by the branches in the area or town. All branches will be entitled to one representative. A convenor will be appointed by and from the group.

Objectives

The responsibility of these groups will be:

  • To bring together branches in the groups/areas
  • To encourage the involvement of new activists in their town/area
  • To develop national and regional campaigns in their locality
  • To identify and work with other suitable groups in their communities
  • To identify local campaigns which PCS would support and to provide a PCS presence in those campaigns
  • To report to the Regional Committee on all of the above

Meetings

These groups will be working groups who will aim to meet quarterly however it may be necessary to meet more frequently.

Annex C – Model Regional Committee Agenda

  1. Apologies for absence
  2. Minutes of the last meeting
  3. Matters Arising from the minutes
  4. Regional Secretary’s report
  5. National Executive Committee Report
  6. Campaigns
  7. Disputes
  8. Organising
  9. Trade Union Education
  10. Union Learning
  11. Equality Issues
  12. Young Members Network
  13. Green Issues
  14. Town/Area campaign group reports
  15. Regional TUC
  16. Links with External Organisations
  17. Regional Workplans
  18. AOB

Note: - This is a broad framework and Committees may wish to supplement each item.