Constitution

Care and Support Workers ORGAINSE! – Constitution and Rules

1) Aims

2) Care and Support Workers ORGANISE! (hereinafter referred to as “the group”) aims to:

a) Encourage trade union recruitment, organisation, solidarity and campaigning

b) Support and encourage participation in relevant progressive campaigns and workers taking industrial action

c) Encourage cooperation between unions organising workers in the social care sector

d) Oppose discrimination and promote equality with an emphasis on workers in the social care sector and the betterment of conditions for all those we support

3) Organisation

a) Any person supporting the Aims of the group and accepting these Rules shall be eligible to become a supporter of the group.

c) There shall be an Annual General Meeting for supporters which will elect officers, cheque signatories and the auditor, and approve the accounts for the previous year.

d)

Additional meetings will take place if:

i. Agreed by a meeting of supporters, or

ii. Called by the officers’ committee

e) The activities of the group shall be decided by meetings of supporters or by the officers’ committee.

f) All expenditure shall require two signatures, neither of which may be the payee.

g) Decisions will be taken by a simple majority vote, and may be at a meeting or otherwise.

3) Officers

a) The Annual General Meeting shall elect annually, at its first meeting in the calendar year, a Chair and Co-Chair, a Secretary and Co-Secretary (these positions should be supporters who are currently care or support worker) a Treasurer, an Auditor and other such officers as it deems necessary. Any vacancies in Officer positions may be filled by election by and from supporters as they arise.

b) The Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, Co-Secretary, Treasurer and other such officers as the supporters may decide at the time of their election shall form the officers’ committee.

c) The duties of the Chair shall be to chair meetings; to secure agreement to the agenda for discussion at each meeting; to secure a full and frank discussion of all matters of contention and an expeditious conduct of uncontentious business.

d) The duties of the Secretary shall be to take minutes of the decisions of all meetings; to conduct any correspondence arising from the decisions of the meetings; to maintain the list of supporters; to report all correspondence and communications received; to seek to ensure that all those entitled to attend receive notice of meetings; to seek to ensure that all those entitled to vote on any decision have the opportunity to do so.

e) The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive and bank all monies due to the group; to pay all liabilities incurred by the group; to reimburse the officers and supporters any expenses they properly incur in carrying out the approved duties assigned to them; to report on the group’s financial position; to prepare an annual income and expenditure account and balance sheet, which shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer shall submit the annual income and expenditure account and balance sheet, together with all relevant paperwork (e.g. the cash book, bank statements and all receipts and copies of invoices), to the Auditor at least one month before the Annual General Meeting at which the annual financial report will be presented.

f) The duties of the Auditor shall be to conduct annually an audit of the financial records maintained by the Treasurer and to certify whether the income and expenditure account and balance sheet prepared by the Treasurer are a true and correct record of the financial transactions and a true and correct statement of the financial position of the group. The Auditor must not be an officer or a signatory to the bank account.

g) The duties of any other officers elected by the membership meeting shall be as decided by the Annual General Meeting.

h) The officers’ committee may agree to allow an officer to delegate part of their duties where appropriate.

4) Dissolution

The group shall be dissolved by a resolution of a special meeting called for this purpose. Not less than fourteen days’ notice shall be given by the Secretary to all members of a meeting at which a motion to dissolve the group shall be considered. The notice of the meeting shall contain the terms of the motion to dissolve the group.

5) Changes to rules

These rules may be amended by the Annual General Meeting or a special meeting called for this purpose. Not less than fourteen days’ notice shall be given by the Secretary of a special meeting at which a motion(s) to amend the rules shall be considered. The notice of the meeting shall contain the terms of the motion(s) to amend the rules of the group.