Rules for the DET/TAFE Industry Advisory Group

Transcription

1 PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION OF NSW Rules for the DET/TAFE Industry Advisory Group Introduction Industry Advisory Groups (IAG) are Representative Committees established under Association Rule 27A. Under that Rule, the functions of IAG s are to enquire into, consider, and report to and advise the Association upon matters of concern to the members they represent, to take such action as necessary to assist the Association in matters affecting those members or affecting the general interests of the Association and to perform such other functions as may be delegated to them by the Central Council. In carrying out their functions, IAG s shall be subject to the decisions of the Executive, Central Council, the Conference and General Meetings and shall comply with any directions given to them by the Executive or Central Council. The following rules are made by the Executive of the Association to regulate the constitution, powers, business and meetings of IAGs generally. There are also particular rules for each IAG on matters affecting that group only. 1. OBJECTIVES RULES The objective of the DET/TAFE Advisory Group shall be: a) To act on behalf of members in DET and TAFE in respect of matters which affect their employment, provided that matters which must, under the Rules of the Association, be dealt with by a Division or other body, are referred to that Division or other body. b) To promote and co-ordinate the activities of Workplace Groups covering members within DET and TAFE. c) To negotiate with DET and TAFE and, in co-operation with Workplace Groups, local management, in respect of matters affecting the employment of members within DET and TAFE. d) To enquire into, consider and report to and advise the Association upon matters of concern to members in DET and TAFE. e) To assist the Association with the organisation of campaigns, including membership action. f) To provide means for combined action in matters affecting all members in DET and TAFE or groups of members in DET and TAFE. g) To co-operate with other bodies within the Association and maintain liaison with other unions and associations with members in DET and TAFE, having similar objectives.

2 h) To co-ordinate and actively organise recruitment in DET and TAFE. i) To generally further the interests of the Public Service Association of NSW. 2. INSTITUTE COMMITTEES Members in an Institute may establish Institute Committees for the purpose of dealing with issues which affect members within the Institute. Rules for the management and constitution of the Committee shall be approved by the Executive. Institute Committees shall forward minutes of all meetings to the Advisory Group 3. CONSTITUTION The DET/TAFE Advisory Group shall consist of:- a) All TAFE Metro Institutes shall be entitled to elect one delegate for every 75 members or part thereof, to the IAG. All TAFE Country Institutes shall be entitled to elect one delegate for every 50 members or part thereof to the IAG. Alternates should also be elected. b) All TAFE Central Support Units and other groups of members not included in Institute Structures shall be entitled to elect, where there are more than 40 members in the Unit or group, one delegate for each 100 members or part thereof to the Advisory Group. c) All TAFE Central Support Units and other groups of members not included in the Institute Structure with less than 40 members, shall be grouped with other Departmental Groups so that such combined groups shall have not less than 40 members, and the combined group shall be entitled to elect one delegate for each 100 members or part thereof to the Advisory Group. d) DET Metro State Office locations shall be entitled to one delegate for every 75 members or part thereof, to the IAG e) DET Non-Metro State Office locations shall be entitled to one delegate for every 25 members or part thereof, to the IAG f) DET District Offices shall be entitled to one delegate for every 50 members or part thereof, to the IAG g) Board of Studies shall be entitled to one delegate for every 50 members or part thereof h) Other Workgroup locations not covered within this Constitution shall be entitled to one delegate for every 50 members or part thereof

3 i) One vocational representative from each vocational group which has 25 or more members in the TAFE Commission. These vocational groups include: 1. Library staff 2. Administrative and Clerical staff 3. General Div support staff 4. Laboratory staff 5. Technical staff 6. Any such other group as formed and endorsed by the DET/TAFE Industry Group A vocational group with fewer than 25 members in DET/TAFE may arrange with any other group or groups, to form a combined group with 25 or more members in DET/TAFE, to choose a representative. j) Ex officio members of the Committee, being members of Executive and Central Council who are in DET/TAFE Industry group, and the President of the Association. 4. ELIGIBILITY Members eligible for election as a commission representative on a Advisory Group shall be all members in the commission. 5. ELECTION PROCEDURES a) All elections of representatives shall be conducted in the manner set out hereunder. b) Elections should be held every 2 years c) Nominations shall be called by the Returning Officer by notice in the journal of the Association. Copies of the notice shall as far as practicable be distributed to each workplace concerned for display on noticeboards. d) Vocational representatives shall be elected (or appointed) in accordance with the rules of the vocational group concerned, or in the case of a combined group in accordance with the arrangement by which the group was formed. The Returning Officer shall be advised of the result of the election. The Vocational Group should be in operation and inclusive of all eligible members of the Association in that classification. If no such provision is made, Vocational Representatives shall be elected in the same manner as Departmental Representatives. e) DET/TAFE Advisory Group Delegates shall be elected by secret postal ballot. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted.

4 The non-receipt of a ballot paper by any financial member shall not necessarily invalidate any election. The Returning Officer shall declare elected the candidates entitled to election. f) Within 28 days after the closing of the ballot, the Returning Officer shall report to the Executive the names of the elected candidates, together with the numbers of votes polled by all candidates and any other matters which he considers should be reported. 6. FUNCTIONING OF THE COMMITTEE Each Advisory Group shall function in accordance with the Rules of the Association, these rules and the particular rules applying to that Committee. Each Advisory Group shall operate subject to decisions of the Executive, Central Council, Conference and General Meetings of the Association. Any matter coming before a Committee which affects members in other Departments shall be referred to the General Secretary. Each Committee shall submit to the General Secretary, an Annual Report on its work. The report shall be forwarded so as to reach the General Secretary by the end of February. 7. MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE Meetings of the Committee shall be held: a) once in each quarter, including an Annual Meeting, which will be held one month after the declaration of the ballot; b) at such other times as the Committee or the Chairperson decide; c) when requested by a written requisition to the Secretary, specifying the matters to be considered and signed by at least one third of the members of the Committee, (such a meeting shall be convened within seven days of the receipt by the Secretary of the requisition); d) whenever required by the President of the Association. 8. MEETING PROCEDURE a) In the absence from any meeting or any session thereof of any member entitled to preside, at the expiry of fifteen minutes from the time appointed for commencement, the meeting shall elect a Chairperson from among its members. b) No member shall exercise more than one deliberate vote at any meeting nor shall voting by proxy be permitted. c) All questions shall be decided by a majority of votes, except as provided to the contrary in these rules, but should there be an equality of votes on any question, the Chairperson shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberate vote. d) The quorum for meetings of a Committee shall be five. If a quorum is not present within half an hour of the appointed time, the meeting shall lapse.

5 e) Matters not provided for in these rules shall be determined as far as possible in accordance with the Rules and By-Laws of the Association. 9. CHAIRPERSON, SECRETARY AND OTHER OFFICERS The Chairperson, Secretary and any other officers of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Committee by and from the representation on that Committee. Ex officio members who are not otherwise members of the Committee shall not be eligible to stand for the positions of Chairperson or Secretary, but shall carry a vote. 10. VACANCIES The position of any elected representative on the Committee shall be vacated by the representatives: a) resigning office by notice of writing; b) dying or becoming of unsound mind; c) ceasing to be a financial member; d) ceasing to be a member of the group from which the representative was elected; e) ceasing to be a Workplace Delegate or Sub-group Delegate (where holding such a position was a requirement for election); f) being absent without leave from three consecutive meetings of the Committee. 11. ALTERNATIVES Alternate delegates may be elected as follows: a) the next candidate in order of number of votes at the ballot; or b) where there is only one candidate from an electorate, an alternate may be elected by and from members in the respective electorate. 12. BALLOTS OF MEMBERS a) A matter may be submitted for decision by the members in the Commission by: Resolution of the Committee, or by the Chairperson acting on receipt of a requisition in writing signed by at least one tenth of the financial members in the Commission. b) The resolution or requisition shall specify the motions to be considered, which motions shall specifically define any action to be taken by the members if the motions are adopted. c) The motions shall be put to a vote of the members in a ballot conducted by the General Secretary adhering as closely as practicable to the procedures provided for election of members of the Committee.

6 d) No resolution shall be carried by such a ballot unless at least five percent of the financial members in the Commission have voted. 13. GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION a) Any grievance or dispute regarding the rules or interpretation there of as prescribed above shall be first attempted to be resolved by the elected officers of the DET/TAFE Advisory Group. b) If the grievance or dispute cannot be managed at this level the parties may call upon the Executive of the PSA to attempt to reach resolution.