Amalgamated Union Of Public Employees

The Union shall be divided into Branches. The Executive Council shall determine the membership of each Branch.

Branches with a minimum membership of twelve members may be established upon a basis of Department, Occupation or locality by the Executive Council. The Branch shall be known by the name authorised by the Executive Council. The Branch name shall not be changed without the Council's approval. Its Registered Office shall be at such place as the Executive Council may decide in consultation with the Branch Committee.

The Executive Council shall have power to make necessary arrangements if the membership of any Branch exceeds 500.

A member shall be attached to such Branch of the Union as the Executive Council may direct.

Each Branch Committee shall meet at least once a month to transact its business. Special meetings may be summoned by the Branch Chairman, Branch Secretary, or Executive Council of the Union. The quorum for Branch Committee Meetings shall be more than half the total number of Committee members.

Any member of the Branch Committee who absents himself without satisfactory excuse from three consecutive duly summoned meetings of the Branch Committee or any sub-committee hereof, shall be deemed to have vacated his seat. The proceedings of the Branch Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy in its numbers.

All Branches shall hold their Triennial General Meeting in April, May or June. If special circumstances warrant the postponement of a Triennial General Meeting, prior approval must be obtained from the Executive Council before the 15th of June, for such postponement. The quorum for Branch General Meetings shall be 25% of the total fully paid-up membership of the Branch concerned or 30 members whichever is the lesser.

In the event of there being insufficient members so as to constitute a quorum, the Branch General Meeting shall be postponed for 30 minutes after which the number of fully paid-up members present shall form the quorum and only the business of the Agenda shall be dealt with.

Special Branch General Meetings may be convened at any time by the Branch Committee or on the written requisition of at least two-thirds of the total fully paid-up members of the Branch concerned. Such meeting shall transact only such business as that for which it is summoned.

The Minutes of the Branch Committee meetings and General Meetings shall be forwarded to the General Secretary.

The Branch Committee shall have general control of the business of the Branch and shall carry out the policy as determined by the Triennial General Meeting. It shall in all things act for and in the name of the Branch.

The Branch Committee shall see that the Rules are properly observed.

The Branch Committee may appoint Branch Sub-Committees as it may deem fit for the proper and efficient administration of the Branch.

The Branch Committee shall have powers to examine all records and documents kept in the Branch.

The decision of the Branch Committee shall be binding on all members of the Branch.

A Branch may negotiate and reach agreement with its respective Department Heads only on matters pertaining to the members of the said Branch. Full details of such agreement should be forwarded to the General Secretary.

A Branch may, in consultation and with the approval of the Executive Council enter into joint activity with other Branches for specific purposes.

Notice of each Branch General Meeting, stating briefly the business to be brought before the meeting shall be issued to each member of the Branch seven days prior to the date of meeting, and it shall not be competent to take up at the meeting any business which is not specified in the circular, unless with the consent of two-thirds of the members present.

At all the meetings of the Branch, the Branch Chairman shall take the chair or in his absence the Vice-Chairman shall do so. In the absence of both, the meeting shall elect a chairman from the members of the Committee present.

All questions shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present, and the chairman of the meetings shall have, in the case of equality, a casting vote in addition to his deliberative vote. Members having any business to bring before a General Meeting, or any motion to make, shall inform of same in writing to the Branch Secretary at least three days before the date of meeting at which the same is to be discussed or considered, and the general nature of such business shall be mentioned in the notice calling the meeting.

The Chairman may, with the consent of any meeting, adjourn same from time to time, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting which the adjournment took place.

Voting shall normally be by show of hands, but a ballot shall be taken for the following purposes:-

Each Branch with a membership of 250 and below, at its Triennial General Meeting, shall elect a Chairman, a Secretary, an Assistant Secretary and not exceeding eight Committee Members to constitute the Branch Committee.

Each Branch with a membership between 251 and 500, at its Triennial General Meeting, shall elect a Chairman, a Secretary, two Assistant Secretaries and not exceeding eleven Committee Members to constitute the Branch Committee.

Each Branch with a membership between 501 and 1000, at its Triennial General Meeting, shall elect a Chairman, a Secretary, three Assistant Secretaries and not exceeding sixteen Committee Members to constitute the Branch Committee.

Each Branch with a membership above 1001, at its Triennial General Meeting, shall elect a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Secretary, four Assistant Secretaries and not exceeding 25 Committee Members to constitute the Branch Committee.

In order to ensure fair representation, the Branch Committee Members other than Officers shall be elected on the basis of locality, age, sex and categories of membership as determined by the General Purposes Committee.

The number of members shall be computed according to the membership records as at March 31.

The names and relative particulars of the Branch Committee elected shall be notified immediately after the meeting to the General Secretary.

The Committee and Branch Officers shall have been members for not less than 6 months and be fully paid up at the time of appointment, unless otherwise decided by the Executive Council.

Unless otherwise decided by the Executive Council candidates for office must be proposed and seconded by two fully paid up members and the candidates with most votes shall be elected to office.

If a vacancy arises in the Branch Committee from any cause whatsoever, the Branch Committee shall decide.

The Chairman shall preside over all meetings connected with his Branch; sign the minutes and any other official Branch documents; supervise the working of the Branch and its other officers, reporting any failure or irregularity coming within his knowledge immediately to the Branch Committee and to the Executive Council. He may convene special meetings of the Branch Committee if necessary.

The Vice Chairman shall preside over meetings in the absence of the Chairman. He shall assist the Chairman in all his duties.

The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all Branch meetings; conduct the Branch correspondence, and keep such other Branch records as may be necessary under these Rules or otherwise decided upon. Upon vacating office he shall hand over to his successor, the Branch Chairman or the General Secretary all the Branch property, books, papers and cash in his possession.

In case any dispute has to be referred to the Executive Council, the Branch Secretary shall be responsible for submitting all relevant documents and factual information relating to the dispute and any other information which the General Secretary or his Assistant may require.

The Secretary shall deal with the financial and membership records of the Branch as required under the Union's system of accountancy; conduct the correspondence on these matters; and report thereon to each Branch meeting. Upon vacating office he shall hand over to his successor, the Branch Chairman, or the General Secretary, all the Branch property, books, papers and cash in his possession.

The Assistant Secretary shall carry out and discharge under the direction of the Branch Secretary such duties in regard to the business of the Branch as he may from time to time be required.

Honoraria may be paid to Union and Branch Officers in accordance with regulations issued by the Executive Council.

Staff Committees or staff representatives may be appointed by the Branch Committee in all offices where members of the Union are employed. Their functions shall be to consider all matters submitted to them by their Branch to protect the interests of, and extend trade union organisation among the staff to supervise the collection of Union subscriptions and to co-operate with other members of the Union employed at or in connection with the same or any similar establishment for common purposes. All matters dealt with by Staff Committees or staff representatives shall be reported immediately to their Branch Committees.

Collectors shall be persons appointed by a Branch Committee and/or Executive Council for the purpose of collecting subscriptions on behalf of the Branch Secretary.

The allocation of funds to individual Branches will be solely vested in the Executive Council whose decision shall be final.

Election of delegates and alternate delegates to the Delegates’ Conference shall be conducted at the first meeting of the Branch Committee after such Branch Committee has been established.

The delegates shall be elected on the following basis of representation:-

(b)

For every Branch Committee, there shall be 2 alternate delegates elected or any other number as may be decided by the Executive Council from time to time.

A Branch may be dissolved by a resolution of the Executive Council if it continues for a period of six months with less than twelve members, or if it neglects to submit to the General Treasurer the monthly financial returns and the monthly subscriptions due in respect thereof or for any reason that the Executive Council deems to be in the interest of the Union. On the closure of a Branch, for whatever reason, the funds, books, papers and any other property shall forthwith be handed to the Executive Council's authorised representative, and the Branch and its officers shall forfeit any claim to the possession thereof.

Members of a dissolved Branch shall be transferred to another Branch.