National Executive Council Elections 2006/2007: Timetable and Procedures

'These elections will be the last to be held in NATFHE. Those who are elected to NATFHE NEC in 2006 will become members (alongside the AUT executive members) of the Transitional National Executive which will be in existence from vesting day (scheduled to be 1 June 2006) to the end of the inaugural National Congress of UCU in May 2007.'

In accordance with Union Rule 16.3, detailed below is the information relating to the electoral procedures and the timetable for the election of officers and National Executive Council representatives for the year 2006/2007.

The formal Notice of Election appeared in the December 2005 issue of The Lecturer and has been sent to branches. The nomination forms, for the various seats, have been sent to branches with this notice.

The composition of the National Executive Council for 2006/2007 will be as follows:

The term of office will be from the close of Conference 2006 i.e. 29 May 2006 to the end of Conference 2007.

Please note: The officers in post on vesting day (scheduled to be June 1st 2006) will become joint officers (alongside the AUT officers) during the 'transitional period' which runs from vesting day to the end of the inaugural National Congress of UCU. The members of the National Executive Council will become members of the Transitional National Executive Committee for the duration of the transitional period. All posts will terminate at the end of the transitional period. In particular, the NATFHE Vice-President will not ex-officio succeed to any office in UCU. Elections will be held in accordance with the rules of UCU for officers and NEC members to take up post after the first Congress.

Provided they are entitled to the rights of membership, all members shall be entitled to vote in the relevant election (Rule 4.1.1).

The Electoral Reform Services have been appointed to act as the Independent Scrutineers for those parts of the electoral process required under the Trade Union & Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 as amended by the Trade Union Reform and Employment Act 1993, and also to act as the Independent Person for the distribution of ballot papers in compliance of Section 51A of the Act.

Procedures and protocols have been agreed by the National Executive Council under the authority of Rule 16 and supplement those provisions already made in the Union rules.

The timetable will be as follows:

Regionally elected representatives for 2006/2007 are based on Membership figures as at 31 October 2005.

They are as follows:

In accordance with Rule 17.4 the number of representatives per constituency shall be one, except that for regional sectors which comprise over 3000 members it shall be one for the first 3000 members, and one for each additional 3000 members or part thereof, at least one of whom shall be a woman.

In the case of representatives of sectors, and in accordance with Rule 16.4d, when more than one representative is to be elected and there is only one woman candidate, she shall be declared duly elected and an election shall take place for the other regional representative(s) among the remaining candidates.

National Representatives to be elected for the year 2006/2007 are as follows: