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What's Happening?

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 important 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.

Credential/ seating
It's Tuesday, it must be Conference. You will have a Delegate Card which you must wear at all times. Wearing it at your waist is not helpful to the scrutineers on the door and will lead to delays.

You will not be allowed to enter Conference without the Delegate Card with its photo

There is a seating plan in the Scotland inUNISON pack (the only problem is when you find someone sitting in your seat which often creates the liveliest debates of the week).

Conference Guide
This details all motions submitted but most will not be reached. 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).

After speeches by the Mayor and the President and various formalities, Conference eventually gets under way.

Speaking
Seats for speakers FOR and AGAINST motions are labelled at the front. If in doubt, staff members 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 whether you should be in the FOR or AGAINST seats. 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 7 minutes, however, Conference often reduces this to 5 minutes. So plan your speech accordingly! Subsequent speakers get 3 minutes.

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 material (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 (Anne Picking this year) and their ruling on any issue is final.The chair can be challenged but this would require a two-thirds vote.

Card Votes
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.

Handy Hints
Get your photo in advance - it can be murder trying to get one there.

Have your photo on your card and wear it always

Leaflets:

Every day you will be handed a rainforest of leaflets. We hope the Scottish Briefings will be of some use to you.

But for safety, do not leave papers on the floor.

Conference Index . Home . Rules

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.
Yellow Light: means the speaker has a minute to go.
Red Light: means ‘zip the lip' now, not after you've made another ten 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 spoken in the debate.

Conference Index . Home . Rules

 Did I just miss something?
grab your anorak for all you need to know to bore them right back

"They've gubbed it under P11.2 but we're going to move reference back and hope we'll get priority under 11.4.

Puzzled? Confused? Couldn't give a damn? - well, read on anyway.

After years of being caught out by jargon and sneaky procedural wheezes, your SiU scoop brings you a Conference rough guide to help you out.

Standing Orders Committee
Comprises reps elected by each Region (ours is Robin Hunter 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 Tory's chance in Scotland 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)

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 Standing Orders Committee and they 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 Standing Orders Committee 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.

Suspension of Standing Orders
A super wheeze (needing a two thirds majority) often tried 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.

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.

Scottish delegates
Mike Kirby and Mary Crichton (pronounced Crehton - she's from Dundee) 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.

Conference Index . Home . Rules

What are they really saying?
A guide to Conference ‘code' phrases.

"I'd just like to echo...” - I've written my speech and you're going to hear it.

"I think I've got flu” - the hangover's set in.

"Must have an early night” - delusive conference fantasy.

"This is my first speech to Conference.” - I've spoken at 23 SWP meetings, two rallies and a sit-in, but this is the first time at Conference.

"It's undemocratic” - I don't agree with it.

"I'll tell you what my members say to me” - They agree with me when they get a get a word in.

"The Standing Orders Committee will look at it again and report back to you” - Piss off!

"The NEC has concerns about the motion to an extent that the intention is not in line with the strategic review” - I've lost my idiot notes.

Conference Index . Home . Rules