UNISON Rule Book 2002

Contents

 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | Schedules | Appendices |

back to main index                           Full Version (195kb)

1.  Scope of Representation 
2.  Categories of Membership 
3.  Allocation to Categories
4.  Members’ Benefits
5.  Becoming a Member
6.  Obligations of Membership
7.  Ceasing to be a Member

1.  SCOPE OF REPRESENTATION

The Union shall seek to represent:

1.1  those employed by any body, authority, company or corporation which has a public, charitable, educational, or statutory function, including those employed in the local government service, the health services, the electricity supply industry, the gas, transport and water industries, the education services, and in the voluntary and community sectors.

1.2  those employed in such other areas of work and such other persons as may be provided for in these Rules, and as the National Executive Council may from time to time determine.

2.   CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP

2.1  Scope of Membership

Membership shall be open to any person employed in the provision of public services and in such other employment as may come within the meaning of Rule C.1 above.

2.2  Subscriptions 

According to their category of membership as set out below, members shall pay subscriptions as provided in Schedule A. Schedule A may be changed from time to time by the National Delegate Conference in accordance with Rule N. In addition members shall pay any local levy fixed by their branch in accordance with Rule H. 

2.3  Full Membership

2.3.1  Full members shall be eligible for full rights and benefits.

2.3.2  Membership shall extend to persons who have previously been members of the Union in employment within the meaning of Rule C.1 and who are currently:

.1  On unpaid maternity, paternity, adoption or medically approved compassionate leave from their employment.

.2  On strike or locked out from their employment.

2.3.3  Eligibility for full membership shall extend to persons whether or not previously members of the Union who are undertaking a course of training or study whether full-time or part–time designed to lead to becoming employed within the scope of Rule C.1.

2.4  Unemployed Members

2.4.1  Members dismissed or made redundant from employment within the meaning of C.1 who notify the branch secretary in writing within six months of loss of their employment may acquire unemployed membership for two years from the date of dismissal or redundancy. This entitles them to receive benefits from the Union for up to two years after that date, provided they remain unemployed.

2.4.2  Unemployed members shall be entitled to attend branch meetings and to vote on issues not relating to pay and conditions of members in employment. They are not entitled to hold office in the union unless otherwise decided by the National Executive Council.

2.5  Members in Education

2.5.1  This category of membership shall extend to persons not falling within Rule 2.3.3 above who are undertaking a course of education and were members of the Union in employment immediately prior to undertaking the course. 

2.5.2  Persons in this category of membership shall not be entitled to hold any office in the Union.

2.6  Retired Members

2.6.1. Retired membership shall extend to persons who have had at least two years’ continuous membership immediately prior to retirement and who are in receipt of a pension or who have reached state retirement age and are not in other paid employment.

2.6.2  Retired members shall be entitled to attend branch meetings and to vote on issues not relating to the pay and conditions of members in employment. They will be entitled to stand for office and vote only for positions in the Retired Members Organisation unless otherwise determined by the National Executive Council or as otherwise provided for in these Rules.

2.7  Honorary Life Members

2.7.1  Existing full members of the Union may be awarded honorary life membership in recognition of their service to the Union upon cessation of their normal membership. Such honorary life members must be nominated by their branch or by the National Executive Council, which body must approve all awards.

2.7.2  Honorary life members shall be entitled to participate in the Retired Members Organisation and be eligible for the same rights and benefits as retired members. They will not be required to pay the fee for retired members set out in Schedule A(6).

2.7.3  Existing life members of COHSE and NUPE and honorary members of NALGO shall become honorary life members of UNISON on Vesting Day.

2.8  Honorary Members

2.8.1  A person is eligible to be an honorary member who is not otherwise eligible to be a member and who has rendered outstanding service to the Union, the Trade Union Movement, or society in general. Nominations will be considered and determined by the National Executive Council.

2.8.2  An honorary member shall not be required to pay any subscription, and shall hold the membership for life, unless she/he resigns the membership or is deprived of it in accordance with Rule I.

2.8.3  Honorary members are not entitled to hold any office, to act as delegate or representative on behalf of any branch, group or body of the Union, are not entitled to any benefit, and are not entitled to any vote. 

2.8.4  Honorary members of COHSE, NALGO and NUPE at Vesting Day shall be honorary members of the Union.

2.9  Employees of the Union

2.9.1  This category of membership shall extend to employees of the Union who shall pay contributions as provided in Schedule A(1). A central register of such members shall be maintained at Head Office. Except as specified below all such members shall be eligible for all the rights and benefits of membership.

2.9.2  Members in this category shall be excluded from eligibility to:

.1  seek or hold office in any lay structure of the Union

.2  be in membership of any branch or of any Group or of any Region

.3  participate as a delegate in any policy-making forum of the Union

.4  participate as a member in any policy-making processes of the Union (excepting as set out below) or to vote for any lay member of the National Executive Council or any lay member of any Service Group Executive Committee

.5  be recognised for the purposes of collective bargaining with the National Executive Council.

2.9.3  Members in this category shall have the right to vote in any political fund ballot.

3.  ALLOCATION TO CATEGORIES

In the event of uncertainty as to which category of membership it is appropriate for a member or members to belong, the National Executive Council may allocate the member(s) to the category it deems most appropriate. 

4.  MEMBERS’  BENEFITS

4.1  Subject to Rule C7.2 below a member is eligible for benefits in accordance with her/his category of membership, provided that she/he has paid the contributions required of her/him under these Rules.

4.2  Details of members’ respective eligibility to benefits are set out in Schedule B.

5.  BECOMING A MEMBER

5.1  Every person wishing to become a member shall complete and sign a prescribed form of application for membership, using her or his full name and giving her or his address, and shall return it either to the branch secretary of the appropriate branch or to the office specified on the form. Any person who is, or has been, in membership of the Freemasons must declare this, in writing, at the time of completing the application form for UNISON membership.

5.2  Providing that (a) the applicant is eligible for membership within these Rules and has not previously been expelled or barred from membership of the Union or has not previously ceased to be a member whilst a disciplinary charge against her/him was outstanding and (b) the branch or branch committee at its next meeting does not decide to refuse the applicant membership, she/he shall become a member of the appropriate branch following receipt of her/his properly completed application form having due regard for the Disability Discrimination Act where appropriate by the branch or Head Office and from the date on which the first contribution is made.

5.3  Members shall be entitled to vote in statutory elections from the date of inclusion in the Union’s central membership register or from the qualifying date for participation in an election as specified in regulations made by the National Executive Council.

5.4  No person shall be a member of more than one branch of the Union at any one time.

5.5  If the branch declines to support an application, the applicant shall be advised in writing of the reasons for the decision, which must be consistent with the Rules of the Union.

5.6  Any person whose application for membership or transfer has been rejected has the right of appeal to a regional appeals committee against the decision of the Branch. The procedure to be adopted will be the same as in the case of a disciplinary hearing.

6.  OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

6.1  Every member shall observe all the Rules of the Union.

6.2  A copy of the current Rulebook shall be provided to each new member.

6.3  Every member who changes her/his address shall notify the Union of the change in the prescribed way. 

6.4  It is the obligation of the member to ensure that her/his subscription is paid to the Union on the date on which it is due. Payment may be made in cash or by cheque (to the member’s Branch Secretary or to a Union Office as directed); by,standing order; by direct debit; by check–off arrangements made through the member’s employer; or by any other method acceptable to the National Executive Council.

7.  CEASING TO BE A MEMBER

7.1  Loss of Eligibility

Any member ceasing to be eligible for membership within Rule C.1, and who does not fall within the classes of membership set out at Rule C.2, shall automatically cease to be a member unless:

7.1.1  the National Executive Council decides otherwise; or

7.1.2  she or he intends to be absent from the employment defined in Rule C.1 for a temporary period only, in which case she or he may be allowed by decision of her or his branch to retain membership.

7.2  Arrears of Subscriptions

7.2.1  Any person owing more than three months’ subscriptions shall cease to be a member of the Union (unless the National Executive Council decides otherwise) and shall forfeit all that she or he has paid to the Union. 

7.2.2  Such a person may rejoin the Union. The National Executive Council shall require such a person to pay outstanding subscriptions or such other amount that it may determine.

7.3  Resignation

Any member may at any time resign her or his membership by submitting a written resignation to her/his Branch Secretary or to the General Secretary. Upon resigning, that member will forfeit any right to receive or continue to receive benefits or privileges of membership, and shall forfeit all that she or he has paid to the Union.

7.4  Suspension

7.4.1  The National Executive Council shall have the power in exceptional circumstances to suspend a member from office for a period of not more than 60 days (unless such a period is extended by agreement between the parties) if the member faces disciplinary charges under Rule I and the National Executive Council considers it appropriate in the interests of her or his branch or of the Union generally that she/he should be suspended until the charges are determined.

7.4.2  In cases of alleged financial irregularities brought under Rule I and the member faces disciplinary charges related to such allegations arising from a Rule I investigation, the National Executive Council may suspend the member(s) from holding office until the conclusion of the disciplinary investigation, hearing or appeal.

7.5  Expulsion

A member may be expelled from membership in accordance with the disciplinary procedure set out in Rule I. In such a case the member will forthwith forfeit any right to receive (or to continue to receive) the benefits and privileges of membership.

7.6  Termination

Notwithstanding anything in these Rules the National Executive Council may, by giving six weeks’ notice in writing, terminate the membership of any member, if necessary, in order to comply with a decision of the Disputes Committee of the Trades Union Congress