UNISON Rule Book 2002

Contents

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H  Collection of Subscriptions and Financing of Branches

1.  Records of Members

2.  Payment of Subscriptions to Head Office

3.  Branch’s Right to a “float”

4.  Payments to Branches

5.  Subscription Appeals Committee

1.   Records of Members

1.1  Records of the names, addresses and branches of members, together with such other information as the National Executive Council thinks appropriate, shall be kept and maintained at the Head Office or such other place as the National Executive Council shall decide.

1.2  The entirety of the subscription due in respect of each member shall be paid to the Head Office.

2.   Payment of Subscriptions to Head Office

2.1  It is the obligation of each member to ensure, so far as she/he is able, that her/his subscription is sent to and received by the Head Office. 

2.2  It is the duty of each branch and the Branch Officers of that branch to ensure so far as they are able that subscriptions due in respect of the members of that branch are sent in their entirety to and received by the Head Office.

2.3  Members and their branches shall ensure so far as possible that the employer(s) in respect of the member and her/his branch remit(s) the member’s subscription to the Head Office; and if this should not be reasonably practicable, that a standing order or direct debit authority in favour of the Head Office or a Head Office bank account designated for the purpose by the National Executive Council shall be established and maintained in respect of the member.

3.   Branch’s Right to a “float”

Each branch in respect of which satisfactory arrangements have been made for the payment of subscriptions due from members of the branch to the Head Office shall be entitled to receive a float equivalent to the total anticipated branch income due to the branch deriving from the subscriptions from its members during the forthcoming month.

4.   Payments to Branches

4.1  Each branch shall be entitled to receive such regular payments of such amounts as the National Delegate Conference thinks appropriate to ensure that the proper running, management and other expenses of the branch are met. 

4.2  Such sums shall be remitted to branches in accordance with a timetable to be published to the branches concerned by the National Executive Council. 

4.3  If branches are not paid the appropriate sums in accordance with the timetable, then the total interest, financing and bank charges incurred by the branch in consequence shall be paid by the Union and shall not be an expense resting upon the branch, throughout the entirety of the period until money is next remitted from Head Office to the branch in accordance with the timetable.

4.4  Where the Head Office receives from the employers lists of members showing the amounts deducted in respect of subscriptions, a copy of this information may be requested by the branch to which those members belong. Head Office will supply branches requesting this information as quickly as possible, and within one calendar month of the request.

5.  Subscription Appeals Committee

5.1  The full amount that the Union is required to pay to a branch in accordance with Rule H.4.3 above or that a branch is required to pay under Rule D.1.3.3 shall in the event of any dispute arising between the branch and the Head Office or National Executive Council be determined by a Subscription Appeals Committee.

5.2  Each Regional Council shall elect a member to serve upon the Subscription Appeals Committee, who shall not be a member of the National Executive Council.

5.3  A paid officer of the Union shall be appointed by the General Secretary to assist and service the Subscription Appeals Committee. 

5.4  A quorum of the Subscription Appeals Committee shall be five.

5.5  The Subscription Appeals Committee shall adjudicate upon any dispute arising between the National Executive Council and any branch in respect of any delay in the funding of that branch by remission from Head Office to the branch of the monies due to the branch,and any consequent cost suffered by the branch.

5.6  The adjudication of the Subscription Appeals Committee shall be binding upon the Union.

5.7  The nominee in respect of the Region of which the branch concerned is part shall not sit upon the Subscription Appeals Committee when it hears and determines the dispute relating to the branch.

5.8  The Subscriptions Appeals Committee will come into effect from 1 January 1994.

6.   Local Levies

6.1  A branch may fix a rate of subscription for local purposes provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

.1  the rate of subscription fixed in relation to any member does not exceed one sixth of the basic subscription payable by that member under Schedule A, and

.2  the decision to fix such a rate of subscription is made either by a simple majority of those members voting in a ballot of all members of the branch or by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting at a general meeting of the branch where notice of the proposal to fix such a vote has been set out on the agenda for that meeting.

(a)   Where such a local levy is in force, branches shall have the right to arrange that the proceeds of the levy are paid directly to the branch whether or not in relation to that branch basic subscriptions payable under Schedule A are paid initially in their entirety to Head Office.

(b)  The proceeds of a local levy shall be accounted for separately and shall be disregarded for all purposes in connection with the calculation of branch retention/remission.