Author: Sarah (Unison)

University of Brighton
AGM 2019

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University of Brighton Branch of UNISON
Annual General Meeting
Wednesday 6th March 2019 at 12.30pm,
Agenda
1) Welcome
2) Speaker - Alex McIntyre from Wetherspoons
3) Minutes of previous AGM
4) Election of Branch Officers
5) Ratification of Stewards and Health and Safety Reps
6) Ratification of the financial return
7) Motions – Branch Rules
8) Branch Secretary’s address and answers to questions
End of meeting 2pm

UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON UNISON BRANCH
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), 1st March 2018,
at Cockcroft Hall, Moulsecoomb

Welcome
The Branch Chair, Martin Loftus, welcomed everyone to the meeting, including the guest speaker, Sandy Nicoll, from London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and representing UNISON’s National Executive Council (in a personal capacity).
Minutes of the 2017 AGM
Minutes were seen by all and agreed as a correct record.
Speaker – Sandy Nicoll
Sandy talked about the national situation as regards higher education and what the pending review of education could do to change the ways universities operate. He said that his branch at SOAS had been heavily involved in the UCU dispute at pre-92 universities, supporting strike action to resist plans to downgrade the pension of USS members.
He talked about the 2018-19 pay campaign, and explained that the process is not moving quickly due to a lack of speed from most unions involved, combined with the fact that UCU were preoccupied with their own pension battle.
Election of Branch Officers
The Chair read out a list of nominations received and seconded and the meeting agreed to endorse the branch officer posts below.
The Chair also appealed for members to volunteer for remaining officer roles, or think about whether members would like to job-share existing roles.

Ratification of the Financial Return
Branch Treasurer, Dawn Whitaker, presented the 2017 Financial Return to the meeting for approval. The return showed income for the year of £17,758 and expenditure of £22,643, meaning that the branch had expenditure of £4,884 more during the year than received.
Dawn explained that this was generally down to spending more on conference attendance, with healthy numbers of members attending events during the year, as well as purchasing a branch laptop.
The branch had a reasonably healthy balance of funds of £25,983 as at 31st December 2017, but the budget for 2018 planned to reduce this by investing for the future.
The Financial Return was approved by the meeting.
Ratification of Stewards, Health and Safety reps and Equalities reps
The Chair read out a list of stewards which had been agreed by members at their sites.
City Campus
Richard Clayton and Jim Hendtlass as Steward and Health & Safety repMoulsecoomb
Paul Cecil as Steward (until retirement in April)
Lise Loftus as Steward
Martin Loftus as Steward and Health & Safety rep
Kevin Pullinger as Steward
Maurizio Valeri as Steward and Health & Safety rep and Equalities rep
Ivan Bonsell as Steward and Health & Safety rep
Emily Brooks as Equalities rep
Falmer
Richard Smith as Steward
Mandy Williams as Steward and Health & Safety rep
Sian Williams as Steward
Eastbourne
John Kitcher as Steward
Marco Troiani as Steward
Hastings
Darren McCabe as Health & Safety rep
Students’ Union
Sarah Pickett as Steward and Equalities rep
Dan Simmonds as Steward

The Chair appealed for members to consider whether they would be prepared to become a rep.
Branch Secretary’s Address and Questions
The Secretary, Ivan Bonsell, welcomed members to the meeting and thanked them for coming, particularly those that had to come from further away than Moulsecoomb campus on a day when the weather had been terrible.
Ivan talked about the review of higher education funding and where that could leave the University in the future, with possible shortages of funding be used to force redundancies.
There were many questions, including the process to try to gain job description re-grades, the need for the branch to be more visible, the stress survey and the equalisation of annual leave entitlement across grades.
Ivan apologised for not managing to produce a video as agreed at the last AGM and said that it was something that the branch would definitely do as soon as possible, with the help of the new Communications Officer.
The Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting at 2pm.

Election of Officers for 2019/20

The following list of officer candidates have been nominated and seconded in accordance with UNISON rules.

Branch Chair Martin loftus
Branch Secretary Ivan Bonsell
Branch Treasurer Dawn Whitaker
Black Members Officer Jean Bosco Ndayizeye
Communications Officer Dan Simmonds
Environmental Officer Chris Baker
Equalities/Diversity Co-ordinator Emily Brooks
Health and Safety Officer Maurizio Valeri
Labour Link Officer Sarah Pickett
Lifelong learning/Education co-ordinator Cathy Peters
Retired Members Officer Mike Adams
Disabled Members Officer
International Officer
LGBT+ officer
Women’s Officer
Young Members Officer

There are some potential roles the Branch could add to the committee. If you are interested in any of the following please contact the branch administrator Sarah Pickett s.e.pickett@brighton.ac.uk

LIST OF BRANCH REPS TO BE NOTED BY THE AGM

Stewards (14):
City Campus Richard Clayton
Eastbourne John Kicher, Marco Trioiani
Falmer Mandy Williams, Richard Smith, Sian Williams,
Moulsecoomb Emily Brooks,Kevin Pullinger, Lise Loftus,
Martin Loftus, Maurizio Valeri, Ivan Bonsell
Students’ Union Dan Simmonds, Sarah Pickett
Health and Safety reps (8):
City Campus Jim Hendtlass, Richard Clayton
Falmer Mandy Williams
Moulsecoomb Allan Dilley, Dawn Whitaker, Martin Loftus,
Maurizio Valeri,Ivan Bonsell.
Equalities reps (3):
Emily Brooks, Maurizio Valeri, Sarah Pickett
We always need more stewards and health and reps and free training is available. If you are interested please contact the branch administrator Sarah Pickett s.e.pickett@brighton.ac.uk

Branch Financial return 2018

University of Brighton UNISON branch rules to be voted on at the AGM. Submitted by Ivan Bonsell

University of Brighton UNISON Branch Rules
1. Branch Name
The branch will be called “The University of Brighton UNISON Branch”, and is referred throughout the rules as “the branch.”
2. Aims of the branch
To support and pursue the aims and objectives contained in the UNISON Rule Book and the Objectives agreed by UNISON’s National Executive Committee annually.
To aim to achieve the agreed targets set annually.
3. Membership
Eligibility for membership will be in accordance with the rules of the union.
4. Branch Structure
There will be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the branch held between 1st March and 31st March, to confirm the election of branch officers and members of the branch committee.
The AGM will receive the branch accounts and report on branch development and relevant issues from the branch committee.
The AGM may comprise one meeting or a series of aggregate meetings across the University’s sites, in order to maximise the active participation of members.
The AGM will determine the basis of representation in the branch and the number of stewards and other representatives to be elected in each campus or workplace.
Other general meetings may be called by the branch committee or by 5% of the membership.
The quorum for any general meeting, including the annual meeting is 5% of the branch membership at a single meeting or through aggregate meetings.
The branch committee will comprise all branch officers (see rule 5 below), stewards, health and safety reps and equalities reps.

The branch committee will be responsible for the general organisation and development of the branch and for policy and decision making on matters affecting all members within the branch, between general meetings.
The branch negotiating committee will be responsible for the day to day management of the branch in accordance with the decisions and authority delegated by the branch committee. (See rule 7 below.)
and the University’s policies.
In the event of staff disciplinary or grievance matters, the branch chair will liaise with the University to determine the procedures to be followed.
The outcome of any disciplinary or grievance hearing will remain confidential and a summary of the outcome will be reported to the branch committee on its conclusion.
5. Branch Officers
The branch will aim to elect the following officers annually in accordance with rule 5c:
Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
Education Co-ordinator
Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator
Equality Co-ordinator
Health and Safety Officer
Communications Officer
International Officer
Membership Officer
Young Members Officer
Welfare Officer
Labour Link Officer (elected by members paying into the political levy only)
Retired Members’ Secretary (elected by retired members only)
Others to be deemed necessary by the branch committee (for example, Women’s Officer, Black Members’ Officer, Disability Officer)
Branch officers will be elected as follows:
1) Any member may be nominated and seconded by the branch committee or any two members, with the exception of nominations for the Labour Link Officer (which will be nominated by members paying into the Labour Link fund only.)
2) Nomination forms will be available through the usual communication methods and all members will be encouraged to think about volunteering for a role.
3) Nominations will be open four weeks before the AGM date and will close two weeks before the AGM.

4) If there are more than one nomination for a role, nominees will be encouraged to stand on the basis of sharing the role and responsibilities, but if agreement cannot be reached then a ballot will be held.
5) Any votes for contested officer seats will be held by ballot of all appropriate members, within the two week period ahead of the AGM, with the results announced at the AGM.
6) Where no valid nomination for a role has been received before the deadline, nominations may be called for and a nominee elected by a show of hands at the AGM, or endorsed by the branch committee.
7) The AGM will approve all branch officers, who will serve for one year.
8) The branch committee can fill vacant seats (including those which become vacant during the year due to resignation) by nominations and a show of hands at any quorate branch committee meeting.
Branch officers are accountable to the branch for their conduct and should be expected to give reports to the branch committee on request.
The branch secretary will give regular reports and updates and is responsible for all practical aspects of the branch operations, convening meetings and managing the administration for the branch.
Any serious allegations of misconduct of a branch officer should investigated by the chair or branch secretary, with a report made to the branch committee with recommendations.
If the branch committee consider that misconduct of an officer is proven and serious enough for the officer to be removed from their post, then a special general meeting should be called and the branch asked to vote on a specific course of action.
6. Branch Committee
Representation on the branch committee will be agreed by the AGM and includes branch officers, stewards, health and safety reps and equalities reps.
The branch committee will conduct branch business in accordance with UNISON rules.
The quorum for the branch committee will be 33% of the members of the committee.
The branch committee will ensure that sections within the branch are appropriately and equitably resourced to ensure the effective participation of members, recruitment and organisation, representation, and collective bargaining and campaigning on behalf of members in each section.
The branch committee will establish arrangements for the individual representation of members.

The branch committee will meet monthly at locations which reflect the spread of branch membership across university sites.
If urgent decisions need to be made which cannot wait for the next scheduled branch committee, any member of the branch committee can either:
Request an additional branch committee meeting to discuss and decide on the issue, providing the meeting is quorate.
Email all branch committee members asking for a virtual decision to be made, which would require a quorate response i.e. 33% of the branch committee indicating agreement to a proposal within a one week timescale.
7. Negotiating Committee
The negotiating committee will be elected annually by the first quorate branch committee meeting after the AGM, to manage the day to day functions of the branch between branch committee meetings.
Membership of the negotiating committee will be no more than eight people and will include the chair, branch secretary and other officers and stewards based on the composition of the branch committee and members’ ability and willingness to attend regular meetings and develop the branch.
The negotiating committee will meet weekly at a suitable location to ensure the effective day to day management of the branch within the parameters of the decisions and guidance issued by the branch.
The negotiating committee will generally include the branch officers and stewards most able to be members of the relevant university committees – Support Staff Common Interest Group, Joint Negotiating Committee, Safety and Wellbeing Committee and Equality and Diversity Committee.
The negotiating committee will be primarily responsible for the planning and execution of agreed branch committee policies with respect to negotiations at the above meetings.
All negotiating committee meetings are open to all members of the branch committee who are able to attend.
8. Conduct of Meetings
All meetings will be conducted in a fair and democratic manner.
All meetings will be advertised as far in advance as possible. For the AGM, all members will be notified in the most appropriate format at least four weeks before the meeting (or first aggregate meeting).

The procedures to be used at the meeting will be explained clearly.
The branch secretary will maintain records of all meetings and other appropriate records to enable the branch to function.
9. Media Communications
Communications to the media on behalf of the branch will be made only by officers authorised by the branch committee.
10. Affiliations
Affiliations to relevant constituency Labour Parties will be decided by members contributing to the Labour Link political fund.
Affiliations to trade councils or any other campaigning groups will be within UNISON rules and will be determined by the AGM or branch committee.
11. Finance
The branch will keep a Unity Trust bank account in the name of the branch and will maintain a financial record of all assets and transactions in accordance with UNISON guidelines.
12. Donations
Donations will be agreed by the AGM or branch committee in accordance with UNISON’s policies and objectives and subject to the national rules.
Any donations made should be to support the trade union movement or workers fighting injustice through strike action or other campaigns.
Each branch committee meeting will consider requests to make a donation of no more than £100, and decide on one organisation to make a donation to by a show of hands, with the chair having a casting vote in the event of a tie.
If the branch committee meeting makes no donation, the opportunity will be carried over to the next meeting.
13. Expenses
Rates of expenses for members attending meetings or carrying out other activities on behalf of the branch will be agreed by the AGM in accordance with the Scheme for Branch Expenses as per the UNISON Branch Finances Handbook.

14. Honoraria
No honoraria payments will be made to members of the branch.
15. Branch Staff
The branch will aim to indirectly employ a part-time administrative assistant to assist the branch secretary and the branch committee in the day to day running of the branch.
The University will employ the post-holder in accordance with its terms and conditions and will invoice the branch periodically for the full costs of employment.
If the post-holder is a member of the branch by virtue of other employment at the University or related organisations, then normal membership rules will apply.
If the post holder is not a member of a trade union, they will be encouraged to join one, and they will be eligible for membership of the branch as an employee of the lead employer, but may wish to join a different trade union.
The branch secretary, as the line-manager, will be responsible for the employment, direction and supervision of the post-holder consistent with employment law, current good practice
16. Approval/Alteration to Branch Rules
Branch rules must be agreed by two thirds of members present and voting at a quorate general meeting or branch committee meeting.
Branch rules must be approved in accordance with UNISON’s rules.
Any changes to branch rules must be agreed and approved as above.

Chair	Martin Loftus
Secretary	Ivan Bonsell
Treasurer	Dawn Whitaker
Health and Safety Officer	Maurizio Valeri
Education Co-ordinator & Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator	Cathy Peters
Equality Co-ordinator	Emily Brooks
Communications Officer	Dan Simmonds
Labour Link Officer	Sarah Pickett
Retired Members’ Secretary	Mike Adams/Carole Chick