Guide for new delegates
(and old ones who were afraid to ask), covering...
With up to 2,000 delegates and visitors, Conference can be a
daunting prospect, especially if you don't know what's happening.
But now you will, thanks to SiU's handy guide.
Scotland Meeting
Monday sees the all Scotland delegates meeting to give last minute
information and discuss Scottish input. Other regions and branches
attend to lobby support for their motions. It is also your chance
to push your issues.
MONDAY 14 JUNE 5.00PM De Vere Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth.
Local Government Branches will also meet at the Highcliff
Hotel at 5.30 on Saturday 12 June.
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Credentials Bar Code
No this is not a secret sign to get a drink. Your credential
card has a bar code which will scan you in. You must wear the
card at all times. Wearing it at your waist is not helpful to
the scrutineers on the door, will lead to delays and may end up
with more than you expected being scanned!
Seating Plan
There is a seating plan in th Conference pack. We traditionally
get at least one seat wrong in the plan - so if you find yourself
sitting on someone's knee, it's likely to be a mistake.
Conference Guide
This details all motions submitted. It also has more detailed
useful information.
You will also get a booklet with composite motions, listed by
letters of the alphabet (usually with the numbers of the motions
in brackets).
Speaking, speakers lists, timings
Seats for speakers FOR and AGAINST are labelled at the front.
If in doubt, staff at the Rostrum Control will help. In any case
it is best to tell them you want to speak because they may have
a list - and with amendments it is not always clear which seat
you should be in.
It also helps to speak to the Scottish Regional Delegates first!
Speakers can speak only once in a debate (except for the right
of reply). Movers get five minutes, however, Conference sometimes
reduces this but you will get warning to chainsaw all those bits
you loved dearly out of your speech.
Subsequent speakers get three minutes. Always start your speech
by giving your name and your branch
Click here for details on the rostrum
lights for timing speeches.
Right of Reply
The mover of a motion is allowed a Right of Reply at the end
of the debate or before voting on an amendment (but not both).
This is a reply to points raised in the debate and cannot be
abused by introducing new stuff (although many try it).
Procedure
Like any other formal meeting, Conference is run by a series
of rules. This often seems very bureaucratic but the system ensures
some semblance of order is kept.
The President chairs Conference and their ruling on any issue
is final.
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Voting
Normally votes are taken by holding up bright coloured cards
and the President will decide whether a count is needed.
If it is close, or a major issue is involved, the chair can call
for a branch card vote. Delegates can also call for a card vote
but only if 10% of us shout out with voting cards up immediately.
If this is on an amendment, the debate is suspended until the
result is known.
Branch card votes are stamped with the voting entitlement of
your branch and with either FOR or AGAINST.
The correct number must be used for the particular vote. As a
reminder, this information is usually put up on electronic screens
at either side of the stage. See Handy Hints
Card votes are published in UNISON Focus.
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Handy Hints
Card Votes
- If you split your vote, make sure the figures add up
- make sure you've SIGNED your card
- and that the branch name is on it
- Make sure it is the right numbered card vote.
Credentials
- Get your photo in advance. Photo booths are few and far between.
Leaflets
- We hope the Scottish Briefings will be of some use to you.
But for safety, do not leave papers on the floor.
- Don't leave mobile phones on.
- Don't walk in front of the signers.
- Lots of people will be pushing papers and leaflets at you
as you come to Conference. Not taking one does not make you
a bad person! If you took them all, you would be like a walking
rain-forest anyway.
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Blinkin' lights and points of order
Time limits for speeches are shown by lights on the rostrum.
Even if you don't notice the light, there is always some bright
spark who will shout ‘time', usually when they're not agreeing
with you.
It can be useful to have an ‘escape clause' in your speech to
cut to so you can finish on a good note..
The lights mean....
Yellow Light: means the speaker has a minute to go.
Red Light: means ‘zip the lip' now, not after you've made
ten more points.
Green Light: means a point of order has been raised and
will be heard before the next speaker.
Points of Order
You can move ‘next business', ‘adjournment' or ‘private session'
but the most used is ‘that the question be put'.
The President must put this to Conference and, if carried, we
go straight to the right of reply, and the vote on the motion
or amendment. (The chair can caution there has not been enough
debate.)
You can only move most points of order if you haven't already
spoken in the debate.
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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CONFERENCE MYSTERIES
Did I just miss something?
Grab your anorak for all you need to know to bore them right
back
After years of being caught out by jargon and sneaky procedural
wheezes, your SiU scoop brings you a rough guide to help you out.
Standing Orders Committee (SOC)
Comprises reps elected by each Region (ours is Bob Revie and
he's really helpful) and three from the NEC who organise the order
of business, composites and so on.
The chair will report each morning on the day's business. Sometimes
their rulings are challenged but it rarely makes sense to do so
since the committee reflects regions' priorities.
NEC Positions
Most motions haven't got a chance of being heard and will be
referred to the NEC, or somewhere.
So it is worth looking to see what position the NEC has taken
on your motion.
Agenda and Priorities
The running order (you'll get one at Conference) is set after
consultation with regions on priorities. Motions are grouped into
‘themes' to avoid duplication and the risk of voting against what
we'd already voted for earlier (yes we've done that before!).
Has yours fallen off?
Come Friday (oh, come, come Friday), there is a chance to re-prioritise
your pet motion that may have fallen off the agenda or was not
reached.
On Thursday, we will circulate branches with a form to pick their
priorities for Friday afternoon. These will be collated, go to
the SOC which will set out a Friday pm agenda that reflects (hopefully)
Conference's wishes. That can be an eye-opener!
Emergency motions
Conference has to vote to hear emergency motions in the first
place (after the SOC has decided it is an emergency and is relevant
and competent - a tricky task by the looks of some of the dross
that trickles through).
To qualify for an emergency, it must have been impossible to
submit the motion before the deadline. Even then, it has to be
in five days in advance unless, of course, the emergency has not
yet happened!
Composite
An amalgam of similar motions drawn together into one motion
that nobody likes! Not fair really, because many composites do
succeed in combining areas of agreement through negotiation.
Suspending Standing Orders
A super wheeze (needing a two thirds majority) to get an outside
speaker up or do something that’s not on the agenda. To be avoided
in most cases because it cuts across agreed priorities and of
course stops Conference making decisions.
Grouped Debates
Where a pile of similar motions and amendments are all moved
one after the other, there is an all-in debate and we vote on
them one after the other at the end.
Remittance
When the NEC asks for a motion to be referred to them for further
clarification, elaboration, or investigation.
Scottish delegates
Mike Kirby and Lilian Macer are this year's Scottish Regional
delegates. They are there to help (in seats at the back of the
hall), especially if you want to get into a debate - they'll tell
you how, who to see, and if you're not careful (or lucky), what
to say! Sincerely folks, they are an essential source of advice,
information and help.
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