What's happening? 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
MeetingMonday 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 20 JUNE 2005 FROM 5.30PM - 7.30PM MOAT HOUSE HOTEL, GLASGOW
(at the Conference Centre) Your card votes will be available at
the meeting.
Light refreshments will be provided. Conference Crèche will be
available until 7.00pm:
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Credentials
Bar CodeNo 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
GuideThis 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 ReplyThe
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 (Pauline Grant this year) 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. top
Handy
HintsCard 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
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 orderTime 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 OrderYou 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
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ALL
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CONFERENCE MYSTERIESDid 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
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 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) 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.
Remittance
When the NEC asks for a motion to be referred to them for further
clarification, elaboration, or investigation.
Scottish delegates
Mike Kirby and Karie Murphy 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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