PROPOSED NUJ WALES COUNCIL


Structure

Each branch in  Wales and,on agreement between the NEC and the Wales Council, those branches with a geographical coverage of Wales, (Chester, Shrops,  Herefordshire) will have a right to chose one rep per 150 members or part thereof. This should give Cardiff 2 reps and, if we recruit a few more members, 3 reps. BBC Wales would also be entitled to 2 reps. The other branches would have one directly chosen rep each.

 

There would also be places for representatives of the Equalities, Black Members and Disabled Members Councils.  These reps should be elected by the membership in Wales to serve on both the Wales Council and their own sectoral council in London.

 

We are also being given the power to co-opt other, non-voting members "to provide specialist advice".  I made it clear in the discussions that we would use this power to ensure that we have representation across the other industrial sectors from the beginning (that is next spring, after the Southport ADM).  Regional newspapers, broadcasting and freelancers are obviously the largest sectors that we represent.

 

We have been invited to propose an additional rule, to go to the Southport ADM, to give a more formal way of choosing sectoral representation from 2007. The reason for this two stage approach was that our original motion only mentions branch representation and not sectoral representation. However, the NEC is happy to support us if we want to agree a further rule change to address this. To do so we would have to draft something at the branches during this autumn as a motion to the Southport ADM. This would then come into force as a further rule change a year later.

 

The reps we chose this autumn will serve for one year. After that, we will chose reps to serve for two years. This will bring us in line with the other councils.

 

Additional rights:

 

The Wales Councilwill also have the rights to table motions to the ADM and to send non-voting delegates to the conference, in line with other councils.

 

So what next?

 

September  17th. The Wales Forummeetsas agreed in Abergavenny to discuss branch nominations and co-options to make sure we have the strongest possible 'council in waiting'.  We also need to consider the best way of phrasing the further rule change to cover sectoral representation.

 

October:  Branch meetings to agree motions and elect branch reps/ nominations for the equalities, disabled members and black member council seats to serve for 12 months from next March.

 

November 7th:  Deadline for motions to 2006 ADM -- must include motion on electing sectoral reps.

 

March 23rd-26th Southport ADM.  Wales Council formally established.  Agree rule change concerning sector reps on Wales Council (to come in the following year.

 

Spring 2007.  Sectoral reps get own place on Wales council by right rather than by co-option.  All reps to serve for two years from now on. 

 

We are due to meet as a Wales Forum in Abergavenny on September 17th (Jenny Lennox and Kate Carr are looking at venues according to minutes of last Wales Forum).  I'm sure we'll discuss this further then.  Happy to answer email questions before that time.

 

Andy Collinson