SECTION 4 - STANDING ORDERS OF DEBATE
90 - STANDING ORDERS OF DEBATE
The following rules of debate shall be observed at all meetings held in connection with the Division, whether Conference, Divisional Executive, Branch Committee of Management General Meetings, Special General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings of members.
(a) Any member desiring to propose a motion or amendment, or to discuss any matter under consideration, must rise and address the Chair. The right of speaking on any subject shall belong to him/her who first rises to address the Chair. No member shall speak more than once upon any motion or amendment without the consent of the meeting. Any member proposing or seconding a motion shall be held to have spoken. When two or more members rise together the Chair shall call upon the member who in his/her opinion rose first in his/her place. The mover of the original motion shall have the right of reply. No further discussion shall be allowed after the mover has replied.
(b) No member, when speaking, shall be interrupted unless called to order, when he/she shall sit down and the member calling to order shall be heard in support of his/her point, and the Chair may either hear further discussion or decide at that stage; but such point shall be decided before the debate is resumed. (c) Any motion or amendment not seconded shall not be further debated, but shall lapse.
(d) The question having been proposed, may be amended by leaving out, substituting or adding words. Any number of amendments may be moved and discussed before the mover of the motion replies. The amendments shall then be put to the meeting in the order in which they were moved.
(e) No amendment shall be received by the Chair which shall be a direct negative to a motion, or which does not preserve the substance of such motion.
(f) So soon as a debate on a question shall be concluded the Chair shall put the question to the meeting in a distinct and audible manner. The question being put shall be resolved in the affirmative or negative by a show of hands, unless a division be demanded by at least five members. A ballot shall be taken if one-third of those present demand it.
(g) No member shall speak on any motion after the same has been put by the Chair.
(h) When the Chair arises during a debate the member then speaking or proposing to speak shall sit down, so that the Chair shall be heard without interruption.
(i) It shall be competent by a two-third majority of the members present for the meeting to suspend any standing order for the purpose of reopening any question previously dealt with at that meeting, or for the consideration of urgent business, provided that the suspension shall be for not more than thirty (30) minutes and any motion before the Chair shall be put to the meeting immediately the thirty minutes have elapsed; provided, further, that an extension of time may be granted upon one-third of those voting being in favour.
(j) No member shall leave a meeting without permission from the Chair. No member shall attend a meeting in an intoxicated state, or interrupt the business.
(k) In debates, the mover shall be allowed ten (10) minutes for speaking in support of his/her motion; subsequent speakers seven (7) minutes each, and the mover seven minutes in reply. The meeting shall have the power by majority vote to extend the time for any speaker. This Rule shall also apply to the Chair of Conference.
(l) Any member dissatisfied with the ruling given by the Chair may move a motion of dissent in the following terms: "That the Chair's ruling be dissented from". In such case only the mover shall be permitted to speak to the motion, except the Chair, who may state his/her reasons for the ruling given. The motion shall thereupon be put to the meeting by the Vice-Chair without further discussion.
(m) Where a motion or amendment is ruled out of order by the Chair on the grounds that it conflicts with the Rules, the resolution of Conference, or the instructions of the Divisional Executive, or that it contains a statement which may be construed as defamatory and a motion of dissent is moved, the Chair shall accept the same and if the motion be carried, the full facts of the case shall be reported to the Divisional Executive for determination.
(n) No more than two members shall speak in succession on one side, either for or against any question before the meeting, and if, at the conclusion of the second speaker's remarks, no member rises to speak on the other side, the motion or amendment shall be at once put to the meeting.
(o) Should any question have occupied the attention of the meeting for a period of one hour, the discussion shall be deemed to be closed, and the Chair shall forthwith call on the mover of the original motion to reply, provided that any member may move for the extension of time, which on being carried by a majority of the members voting shall necessitate the discussion being continued for the time stated in the motion.
(p) In the event of the voting on any motion being equal, the Chair shall declare the motion lost.
(q) Provided he/she receives the call from the Chair it shall be competent for any member to move after four speakers have spoken to the question under discussion, "That the question be now put," and in the event of such motion being carried, the question shall be put without further debate, provided that this shall not affect the right of the mover of the original motion to reply, and provided further that any member who has spoken on the question under discussion shall not be permitted to move or second a motion, "That the question be now put."
(r) Provided he/she receives the call from the Chair it shall be competent for any member to move during discussion of any question, "That the meeting proceed to the next business", and in the event of this motion being carried, the meeting shall forthwith proceed to the next business.
(s) No discussion shall be allowed on formal motions, such as "That the discussion be adjourned," or "That the meeting be adjourned," or "That the question be now put," or "That the meeting proceed to the next business."
(t) The Chair shall have power to expel a member from the meeting for disorderly conduct and to have the member so expelled called before the Branch Executive and charged under the provisions of Rule 43.
(u) No new business shall be submitted after 10.00 pm.
Subject to the Workplace Relations Act 1996 in the event of any doubt or dispute arising at any time in regard to the interpretation or administration of the provisions of these Rules, the question shall be submitted to the Divisional Executive for determination, and the determination of the Executive thereupon shall be binding on the Officers and members of the Union unless and until varied by the Divisional Conference.
On and from the 1st August 2005 the following shall apply:
That Section 5 be deleted in its entirety including Rules 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 110A, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117 and 118.
Further that Rule 34B - TOA Contributions is deleted in its entirety.
That sub-Rule 4(1) of the Communications Division Rules which reads `TOA means the Telecommunications Officers Association as at the day prior to the amalgamation date of the union and the Association' be deleted.
That sub-Rule 5(d)(ii) of the Communications Division rules which reads `in respect of the TOA Branch - one delegate for each 2,000 members or part thereof' be deleted
That sub-Rule 5(e) of the Communications Division rules be amended to delete the words `and the TOA Branch' in the second paragraph.
That sub-Rule 11(a) of the Communications Division rules be amended to delete the words `Telecommunications Officers Association' in the first paragraph.
That sub-Rule 11(a) of the Communications Division rules be amended to delete the words `Telecommunications Officers Association' in the second paragraph.
That sub-Rule 21(iv) of the Communications Division rules be deleted and replaced with the following:
"The election of the Alternate National Councillor (Affirmative Action) position shall be by a secret ballot of financial female members of the Division, and shall be conducted in conjunction with and at the same time as the election of Divisional Officers as provided for in Rule 23."
That sub-Rule 44(a)(xiii) of the Communications Division rules which reads "the Telecommunications Officers Association (TOA) Branch" be deleted.
That sub-Rule 46(a) of the Communications Division rules be amended by deleting the words "other than a member attached to the TOA Branch" in the first paragraph.
That Rule 47A of the Communications Division rules titled "Special Provisions - TOA Branch" be deleted.
That sub-Rule 66(d) of the Communications Division rules which reads "Candidates for the office of National Councillor and Alternate National Councillor representing the TOA members shall be financial members of the TOA Branch and be nominated in writing by at least two (2) other financial members of the TOA Branch" be deleted.
That sub-Rule 67(a) of the Communications Division rules be amended by deleting the words "Except in the case of the TOA Branch Committee of Management members" in the first paragraph.
That sub-Rule 67(f) of the Communications Division rules be amended by deleting the words "Except in the case of the TOA Branch" in the first paragraph.
***END OF RULES***
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