LTB 635/18 – REDESIGN

No: 635/18

9th November 2018

TO: ALL BRANCHES

 

 

Dear Colleague

 

REDESIGN

Following last weekend’s successful Special Conference, the purpose of this LTB is to give Branches an initial outline of our next steps and to attach a summary of the decisions of Conference.

The Redesign Project Team is currently drawing up our forward work programme and has commenced the process of identifying and preparing the necessary Rule changes that support the agreed Policy Papers and the decisions made at Conference.

Additionally, we are examining the immediate action we will take on each of the Policy Papers to move agreed change forward.

In this regard, two key areas will be the work we will now do to introduce our new Regional and Equality structures. Further information on this will be sent out next week.

In the meantime, please see, for information purposes, the attached summary of Conference decisions.

Any enquiries on the above LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s office – gsoffice@cwu.org

 

Yours sincerely

                        

Dave Ward – General Secretary 

Tony Kearns – Senior Deputy General Secretary

635LTB – Redesign

 

 

COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION – SPECIAL GENERAL CONFERENCE 2018

 
 

SECTION 1 – BRANCHES

 
NUMBER
  

MOTION

  
Composite Motion 3

 

 

CARRIED
 This conference instructs the NEC that it is not in Union’s long term interest to remove 50% of current monies held in Branch accounts that maintains a strong Branch structure and further proposes that the present Branch rebate system remains the same as is now laid down in the rules except that the withheld rebate fund is changed as follows;

 

70% of the current withheld rebate fund be returned to the General fund, the remaining fund (30%) to be held as a fund that any Branch or Region can request a grant from for any specific project or for assistance due to lack of funds by making an appropriate case to the Senior Deputy General Secretary.

 

All future withheld rebate will be dealt with in the same manner with 70% going to the General fund and 30% being for Branches and Regions to request funding for projects/campaigns or assistance.

 

  
Composite

Motion 14

 

 

 

CARRIED
 This Conference instructs the National Executive…

 

That Conference will note the inclusion of the fourteen measures of success for branches and the mandatory health check

 

This measure should be welcomed as a move to a more professional and consistent service to our members, however the inclusion at point 3 of a less than 500 member review and the subsequent encouragement to merge removes the ability of smaller branches however active to be judged on the fourteen measures along with all other Branches

 

As such point 3 of the recommendations should be removed.  

 

The National Executive is instructed Accordingly

 

  

SECTION 2 – REGIONS

 
Composite Motion 20

 

 

 

CARRIED

 Conference welcomes the recommendation to establish Regional Executive Committees allowing the establishment and delivery of regional campaigning and strategic activity within the more accountable framework of a new Regional Executive Committee.

 

Conference is concerned however that with additional activity comes a greater requirement for financial transparency and safeguards and believes the omission of a Regional Treasurer or Financial Secretary on the new committee to be an oversight.

 

Conference therefore instructs the NEC, under Recommendation 3, to include a Regional Financial Secretary. Conference further instructs the NEC to include a clause that no single individual can hold more than one of the following roles at any one time:

 

•           Regional Secretary

•           Regional Assistant Secretary

•           Regional Chair

•           Regional Financial Secretary

 

  
Motion 27

 

CARRIED

 The NEC is instructed that as part of any newly constructed Regional Constitution a new rule will be introduced that will make the attendance by CWU Branches at Regional Committees mandatory.

 

  

SECTION 3 – EQUALITY

 
Motion 32

 

ACCEPTED

 Conference instructs the NEC to maintain the current national advisory committees until such a time when any new structure is agreed under Redesign. The NEC is instructed accordingly.

 

  
 

SECTION 4 – NATIONAL STRUCTURES

 
Composite Motion 34

 

 

CARRIED

 Whilst it must be noted and congratulated that the aspiration of the NEC in the Redesign National Structures document envisages a newly constituted NEC to better reflect the work, gender, ethnicity and diversity of the membership conference agrees it does not go far enough.

 

Therefore conference agrees that in addition to the number of positions set out in paragraph 4.4

 

The NEC are instructed to have an additional 4 seats to

 
NUMBER
  

MOTION

  
  sit on the NEC that are not from the Industrial Executives

 

2 elected by and from the Postal constituency

 

2 elected by and from the Telecoms and Financial Services constituency

 

  
Motion 41

 

 

CARRIED

 This conference instructs the NEC to amend the first paragraph in 4.3 and insert after;

 

not vote on either financial or Rule/Constitutional changes…. EXCEPT WHERE THEY APPLY ONLY TO RETIRED MEMBERS….   nor on issues

 

  
 

SECTION 5 – CONFERENCES

 
Composite

Motion 44

 

 

CARRIED

(Card Vote No2)

 This Special Redesign Conference recognises that Annual conference is the sovereign body of this union. This Conference further recognises that any move to increase the duration between Conferences will undermine the democratic accountability of this union.

 

Therefore, this Special Redesign Conference notes that the NEC’s proposed recommendation to move to Biennial Conferences is not in the best interests of the membership of the CWU, either politically or industrially.

 

The NEC is therefore instructed to retain the current policy of the CWU of Annual Conferences and adjust the policy document in line with this decision.

  
Motion 53

 

 

CARRIED

 Conference notes with concern the proposal to move to a biennial retired members conferences from 2019, therefore conference agrees that there will be a retired members event held in the year between the retired members conferences, the NEC is instructed accordingly.

 

  
Motion 54

 

 

 

CARRIED

 TO AMEND SECTION 5 – APPENDIX A – RECOMMENDATION 14

 

Add after “… Health and safety sections only”


“Whilst retaining the ability to submit the same number of motions to the Health and Safety section as the current Regional Safety Forums are entitled to.”

The NEC is instructed accordingly

 

 

 

  
NUMBER
  

MOTION

  
Motion 55

 

 

 

ACCEPTED

 The Conference instructs the National Executive to amend bullet point 13 to read as follows;

 

13. That further work be undertaken in conjunction with the SOC to facilitate the following for General and Industrial Conferences and Policy Forums. All other bullet points to remain as proposed.

 

  
 

SECTION 6 – EDUCATION, LEARNING AND TRAINING

 
Motion 57

 

 

 

CARRIED

 Our Branch notes that the review of the Unions assets is mentioned in the introduction of the redesign document but not in any of the sections 1-7

 

We therefore instruct the NEC to draw up a full strategic financial plan that sets out in a clear and concise way, the projected savings of each of the three elements of the asset review.

 

This should be published to Branches before any final decision is taken to dispose of any Asset or before any special Rules revision conference necessary to enact CWU Policy on the redesign project.

 

  
Composite Motion 65

 

 

 

ACCEPTED

 Conference instructs the NEC to seek the views of Branches and Regions on the bullet points on pages 39/40 of the redesign booklet.

 

A breakdown/consensus of replies shall be included in the comprehensive draft policy document produced by the group

 

  
 

SECTION 7 – NEC ENABLING MOTIONS

 
Motion 67

 

 

CARRIED

 Conference notes the terms of the NEC recommendations contained within the Redesign CWU Branches document together with the motions that have been carried by this Special General Conference. Conference agrees that taken together these now form CWU policy on Redesign for Branches.

 

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to bring forward to a Special Rules Revision Conference any Rule amendments that are necessary to enact CWU policy on Redesign for Branches.  Conference also instructs the NEC to immediately act on CWU policy on Redesign for Branches which does not require Rule amendments.

 

  
NUMBER
  

MOTION

  
Motion 68

 

 

CARRIED

 Conference notes the terms of the NEC recommendations contained within the Redesign CWU Regions document together with the motions that have been carried by this Special General Conference. Conference agrees that taken together these now form CWU policy on Redesign for Regions.

 

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to bring forward to a Special Rules Revision Conference any Rule amendments that are necessary to enact the CWU policy on Redesign for Regions.  Conference also instructs the NEC to immediately act on CWU policy on Redesign for Regions which does not require Rule amendments.

 

  
Motion 69

 

 

 

CARRIED

 Conference notes the terms of the NEC Recommendations contained within the Redesign CWU Equality document together with the motions that have been carried by this Special General Conference. Conference agrees that taken together these now form CWU policy on Redesign for Equality.

 

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to bring forward to a Special Rules Revision Conference any Rule amendments that are necessary to enact the CWU policy on Redesign for Equality. Conference also instructs the NEC to immediately act on CWU policy on Redesign for Equality which does not require Rule amendments.

 

  
Motion 70

 

 

 

CARRIED

 Conference notes the terms of the NEC recommendations contained within the Redesign CWU National Structures document together with the motions that have been carried by this Special General Conference. Conference agrees that taken together these now form CWU policy on Redesign for National Structures.

 

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to bring forward to a Special Rules Revision Conference any Rule amendments that are necessary to enact the CWU policy on Redesign for National Structures. Conference also instructs the NEC to immediately act on CWU policy on Redesign for National Structures, which does not require Rule amendments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
NUMBER
  

MOTION

  
 

SECTION 7 – NEC ENABLING MOTIONS

 
Motion 71

 

 

 

CARRIED

 Conference notes the terms of the NEC recommendations contained within the Redesign CWU Conferences document together with the motions that have been carried by this Special General Conference. Conference agrees that taken together these now form CWU policy on Redesign for Conferences.

 

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to bring forward to a Special Rules Revision Conference any Rule amendments that are necessary to enact the CWU policy on Redesign for Conferences. Conference also instructs the NEC to immediately act on CWU policy on Redesign for Conferences which does not require Rule amendments.

 

  
Motion 72

 

 

 

 

CARRIED

 Conference notes the terms of the NEC recommendations contained within the Redesign CWU Education, Learning and Training document together with the motions that have been carried by this Special General Conference. Conference agrees that taken together these now form CWU policy on Redesign for Education, Learning and Training.

 

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to bring forward to a Special Rules Revision Conference any Rule amendments that are necessary to enact the CWU policy on Redesign for Education, Learning and Training. Conference also instructs the NEC to immediately act on CWU policy on Redesign for Education, Learning and Training which does not require Rule amendments.