• CWU ASSISTANT SECRETARY (POSTAL) – 2015
Following the election of Terry Pullinger to the CWU Deputy General Secretary (Postal) the CWU Assistant Secretary (Postal) position is now vacant and therefore in accordance with the rules of the union the NEC has agreed the arrangements for the subsequent election
1.CWU Assistant Secretary (Postal)
The responsibilities of all CWU Assistant Secretaries shall be to carry out and discharge under the direction of the GS such Union duties as they may be deemed required to perform.
CWU Assistant Secretaries are subject to election in accordance with the CWU national rule that requires election every 5 years.
The above position is currently responsible for dealing with the following Royal Mail Group businesses; Mail Centres, Distribution Units and Royal Mail International Parcelforce Worldwide, Royal Mail Logistics, Quadrant & the Isle of Man.
The timetable for the election will be as follows:
Nominations Open:3 August 2015
Nominations Close:28 August 2015 (14:00)
Dispatch ballot material from:10 September 2015
Close of ballot:6 October 2015 (first post)
Result:8 October 2015
The Election Regulations stipulate that a copy of the regulations for the election must be distributed to all branches in advance of the nomination process. A copy is therefore attached and I would be grateful if you could ensure that these are brought to the attention of the members of your branch.
The regulations will also be published on the CWU website and a copy will be issued to all candidates nominated to stand in the Election.
Further information regarding the election, including the CWU assistant Secretary (Postal) Nomination Form, will be despatched to all relevant branches on 31 July 2015. However branches are reminded that in order for nominations for the above position to be valid then they will need to be submitted on the appropriate CWU HQ issued nomination form.
2.Elections Prize Draws
Branches are reminded that in order to protect the integrity of these very important national election’s and more importantly, ensure that the union is legally compliant with the relevant legislation covering such elections, that election prize draws should not be conducted under any circumstances unless written authorisation has been given by the Senior Deputy General Secretary.
Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department, CWU HQ, for the attention of Peter Metcalfe. Telephone: 0208 971 7368, or email: pmetcalfe@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely
Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary
COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION
ELECTION REGULATIONS AND CANDIDATE GUIDELINES – AUGUST – OCTOBER 2015
ELECTION OF:
▪ ASSISTANT SECRETARY (Postal)
1. These regulations have been determined by the National Executive Council in accordance with the Rules of the Union to govern the election for the above position. The election will take place in August – October 2015 and the successful candidates will take up office in October for a period of five years.
2. Nominations open on 3 August 2015. The Senior Deputy General Secretary will provide formal notice of when the election will take place.
3. All eligible Branches shall be sent a nomination form for this election. All branch nominations must be agreed at properly constituted Branch meetings. Each Branch shall return the nomination form to the Senior Deputy General Secretary, CWU to arrive no later than 14:00 on 28 August 2015. Nominations received after that date will not be accepted. Each Branch shall be responsible for the correct completion of the nomination form. Further copies of the nomination form may be applied for from The Senior Deputy General Secretary.
4. Members who are nominated as a candidate will be sent a letter confirming receipt of a nomination, and the appropriate forms to be completed giving their acceptance of nomination, biographical details and the election address together with a copy of these Regulations. Acceptance of nomination and completed forms for biographical details and the election address, together with a recent photograph must be received by 14:00 on 28 August 2015 by the Senior Deputy General Secretary, CWU, 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1RX. Any biographical details or election addresses or photographs received after that date will not be accepted.
5. Each candidate must receive the nomination of five Branches by the close of the nomination period in order to be eligible for election. The five nominations must include the nomination of the candidate’s own Branch.
6. Only candidates will be entitled to contact the Senior Deputy General Secretary during the nomination period and ask whether 5 Branches have nominated them. Candidates will only be entitled to ask about their own nominations.
7. The Senior Deputy General Secretary will receive the Branch nominations. Each candidate will be entitled to choose which five nominations are published. This list of nominations will also be published with the personal statement/biography outlined in Rule 9.7.7.
8. The full list of all Branch nominations received will be published in alphabetical order to all the unions Branches via a Letter to Branches (LTB). Candidates shall undertake not to include the full list of their nominating Branches in their election address, and the Senior Deputy General Secretary may delete any list, which is included in the election address.
9. Each candidate shall have the right to prepare an election address of not more than 500 words and to submit a recent photograph. The Senior Deputy General Secretary shall delete words in excess of 500. The content of the election address is the responsibility of the individual candidate and the Union will not be held responsible for any defamatory or libellous statements contained in the address.
10. The election addresses and individual photographs for all candidates will be published and distributed with the ballot papers to all members. Other than Branch publicity restricted to the membership of their individual Branch any other publicity or canvassing such as handouts, posters etc. for any or all candidates will be the responsibility of the individual candidate who shall fund any such publicity.
11. The method of recommending support for candidates to its own Branch members will be a matter for each Branch. No Branch officer or other workplace representative shall have any responsibility for the circulation of publicity for any candidate other than the candidate recommended by the Branch. All material produced by a Branch must include the name of the Branch and the printer’s name and address where appropriate.
12. The Independent Person, in accordance with all legislation, designated as the printer of all ballot material is under instruction to refer any request from a candidate or Branch to undertake printing on their behalf, to the Independent Scrutineer and General Secretary. Printing for a Branch, or candidate, can only be undertaken by the Independent Person with the written authority of both the Independent Scrutineer and the General Secretary.
13. Candidates may not use information held by the union on its national records for workplace or home addresses for members for the purposes of distributing any publicity material. Any complaint that a member has used such information may be investigated by the Independent Scrutineer, and if as a result, the complaint is upheld, may take appropriate action in accordance with para.22 of these Regulations.
14. Voting will be by individual member by the marking of a ballot paper by the member entitled to vote. The ballot will be fully Postal in accordance with current legislation.
15. Each member entitled to vote shall be allowed to do so without interference, constraint or undue pressure, in secret, and so far as is reasonably practicable, without incurring any direct cost to the member.
16. So far as is reasonably practicable, all members entitled to vote will receive a ballot paper at the address notified in writing to the CWU. The ballot papers will be dispatched, so far as is reasonably practicable, from 10 September 2015. For votes to be valid, members must mark the ballot paper in accordance with the instruction, and return it sealed in the prepaid envelope provided to the address nominated by the Independent Scrutineer and appearing on the envelope.
17. All eligible members included in the Register maintained by the Union as at 24 August 2015 are entitled to vote. Every effort will be made so far as is reasonably practicable to ensure that each member will receive a ballot paper through the post. It is not possible to issue duplicate ballot papers unless this is authorised by the appointed scrutineer. To request a duplicate ballot paper the eligible member will need to send a written request to the appointed independent scrutineer (ERS). The request must contain the following information; CWU membership number, correct postal address and the reason why a duplicate ballot paper is being requested.
18. The last time for receipt of ballot papers at the address nominated by the Scrutineer will be first post 6 October 2015. Any ballot papers received after that time will not be counted.
19. Returned ballot papers will remain unopened in their envelopes until the close of ballot. Two lay CWU members (who do not hold any elected or appointed position) will be selected as observers. The Observers together with the Senior Deputy General Secretary will attend the start of the count of the ballot papers. Their sole responsibility will be to ensure that the envelopes are unopened prior to the commencement of the count, after which the Scrutineer shall arrange to count the number of valid votes cast for each candidate. The Scrutineer will declare the results of the election as soon as possible after the completion of the count.
20. The CWU is committed to free and democratic elections and will actively oppose racism and sexism and all forms of discrimination based on race, creed, religion, age, disability, sex or sexual orientation in industry, the Union and Society. Members and candidates must not behave in a discriminatory manner or circulate any material that may be offensive to any other member or candidate.
21. No full time officer of the Union as defined under the rules, shall publicly endorse, at any official Union organised meeting or conference or in writing, any candidate for election.
22. A member, candidate or Branch may make a complaint regarding the ballot on the grounds that there has been a breach of Union Rules or of these Regulations. The complaint must be submitted in writing to the Independent Scrutineer no later than four weeks of the declaration of the results. The Scrutineer shall investigate the complaint, and if as a result, the complaint is upheld may declare the election void or the election of any particular person void or any appropriate candidate disqualified. In addition they may invalidate any vote or any number of votes previously counted, or include any vote or any number of votes not previously counted and thereby re-determine the results of the election. The decision of the Scrutineer shall be final and binding.
23. These Regulations shall be distributed to all Branches in advance of the nomination process for the purpose of being brought to the attention of the membership. The Regulations shall be sent to each candidate on receipt of their nomination, and to any other individual member who applies to either the Union or to Electoral Reform Services Limited.
24. Any matter not covered by the Rules of the CWU, or by decision of the NEC prior to the ballot, shall be determined by the Scrutineer.
25. The Scrutineer appointed in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992, as amended, shall be Electoral Reform Services Limited, The Election Centre, 33 Clarendon Road, London, N8 ONW. In addition to carrying out duties in accordance with the Act, the Scrutineer shall make whatever enquiries or investigations they consider appropriate in order to ensure that, as far as possible, the ballot has been carried out in accordance with these Regulations. The decision of the Scrutineer on any matter in these Regulations shall be final.
Candidates Guidelines – 2015
ELECTION OF:
▪ ASSISTANT SECRETARY (Postal)
Please Note: That in line with the policies of the union, where they have not already done so all candidates will be required to undertake CWU Equality & Diversity training.
Biographical Details:
Each member nominated as a candidate will be entitled to complete the appropriate forms giving the following biographical information:
▪ Branch
▪ Date started employment relevant to CWU
▪ Date of joining CWU (or relevant predecessor union)
▪ Job Title
Union Record/Other relevant service to the Union and Labour Movement
Additionally candidates are entitled to submit a maximum of 100 words, for inclusion in the booklet to be sent to every member with their ballot paper. This should include information on positions held in Branch, District, Region NEC etc. together with appropriate dates and information on representation at Conferences e.g. TUC, PTTI, C.I. UNI, membership of other unions, political parties, any education or training relevant to this election.
Election Address
Each candidate is entitled to submit an election address of up to 500 words. Words in excess of 500 will be deleted after the 500th word. The election address can be submitted on disc or by e-mail to pmetcalfe@cwu.org. The preferred format for this is MS WORD.
Alternatively the election address should be typed or written in clear manuscript and signed by the candidate when submitting to the union. Please do not send photocopies to avoid misreading of your statement. Any errors will be reproduced – so proof read your text carefully prior to submitting it.
Use of formats such as underlining, text in bold, bullet points etc. may be used and it is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that any instructions regarding the layout are clear.
The CWU cannot take any responsibility for text that cannot be read, or instructions on layout that cannot be understood.
Photograph
Each candidate is entitled to submit a recent photograph that will be printed with the election address. The photograph should be black and white and have head and shoulders of the candidate only. Photographs containing more than one person are not acceptable, and will not be printed in the booklet. Candidates should note that black and white photographs will reproduce to a higher quality in the booklet, and the CWU cannot take any responsibility for inferior quality if a colour photograph is supplied. Photographs must be received by the CWU by the appropriate closing date for acceptance of nominations and cannot be returned after the ballot.
Please note: Instructions to refer to those printed in previous years, photocopies of a previous election address or extracts cut out from printed copy in previous elections, including photographs, are not acceptable, and only the submissions received for this election will be printed.
In accordance with current legislation, the CWU shall secure that no modification is made to any election address other than where it is necessarily incidental to the method adopted for producing the copy.
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