Reports, Delegations, Balance Sheet and Visiting Speakers
This chapter looks at how union branches and other organisations deal with reports from various bodies and officials, including financial reports.
The way in which reports from bodies are dealt with at branch level will depend on whether the body in question is responsible solely to the branch – for example, a sub-committee of the branch; or whether it is also responsible to other branches – for example, a district committee.
Reports from sub-committees
Reports from a sub-committee to a union branch or from an executive committee to a General Committee of a Constituency Labour Party are reports from subordinate to superior bodies. They may be either read to the meeting or, preferably, circulated to members in advance. In either case, as soon as the item is reached the chair of the meeting should ask the chair of the sub-committee to move that the report be endorsed.
Adoption of reports
If the report – which will usually be in the form of minutes – is in writing, the chair should take it item by item, receiving comments from members on points in the order in which they appear on the agenda. If the minutes are to be read to the meeting, the chair may find it easier to have them read in full first, allowing members to make notes of points on which they require information or to which they take exception. There can then be a discussion on the minutes and, if necessary, motions taken on matters arising. Finally, when the minutes have been examined and the matters arising have been dealt with, the chair will put the motion: ‘That the report (or minutes) of the sub-committee be adopted’.
If any item in the sub-committee’s report has been referred by it to the full meeting for consideration, the chair should not allow any discussion on this item when it is reached during consideration of the report, but should leave it until the item is reached on the agenda itself. The final motion should then read: ‘That the sub-committee’s report be adopted, with the exception of those items otherwise dealt with on the agenda.’ If the report has been amended in any way, the motion should be worded to take this into account.
Reports from working parties
Presentation of reports
Because working parties are special sub-committees (see chapter 9), there are differences in procedure when the report of a working party comes before the branch or general body of members. Unless it is very brief, the report should be presented in writing. The chair of the working party should present it and should be ready to answer any questions or criticisms. This may be done without a formal motion being moved.
Approving the general principles
The next task is to make sure that the general policy of the report is acceptable, because it is no use discussing the details of the report until the general principles have been approved. After preliminary discussion, therefore, the chair of the working party might move: ‘That the general policy of the report is accepted.’ A formal motion might be unnecessary if the mood of the meeting seems to be that the general principles of the report are acceptable, but it should be moved if there is a minority report. (Supporters of the minority report might move an amendment ‘That the general policy of the minority report be accepted’ which, if carried, would mean that the minority report would then be the report before the meeting.) A motion for acceptance provides an opportunity to discuss the general nature of the report. While mention may be made of particular sections of the report to support general arguments either for or against the report, it is not in order at this stage to discuss the details of such sections.
Amendments to motion of general approval
There are three permissible types of amendments to the motion for acceptance:
- reference back to the working party for reconsideration;
- postponing consideration to a future date; and
- taking the report out of the hands of the existing working party and referring the subject to a new one.
Where it is wished to alter the policy, the motion referring the report back may also usefully indicate the general principles which it is desired should be embodied in the report. It is not in order to move ‘That the report be rejected’, because this is a direct negative and the motion ‘That the general policy of the report be accepted’ takes precedence. But members supporting the rejection may speak and vote against the report, and if this results in the motion for acceptance of the report being defeated, the report is finished with and should not be discussed in detail.
Detailed criticism
When the motion approving the policy has been carried, the general principles are no longer under discussion, and the details alone remain considered to be considered. The report should then be taken paragraph by paragraph. Each paragraph is treated as an ordinary motion, and should be moved by a member (preferably by the chair of the committee). the member moving the paragraph simply says: ‘I move that paragraph one be approved.’ Amendments may then be allowed to modify or refer back the paragraph under consideration. (If there has been a minority report the authors of this would probably seek to move detailed amendments in line with their own report.) Care should be taken by the chair to see that such amendments do not destroy the general principles of the report; any amendment of this sort would be out of order. Sometimes there will be no discussion on the paragraph and the chair should ask, ‘Is it agreed that paragraph one be approved?’ The members who approve say ‘Agreed,’ and, if this seems a general response, the chair says; ‘I declare that paragraph one is approved.’ If there seems to be any dissent, a vote should be taken. This process is repeated until each paragraph has been gone through and passed by the meeting.
Formal approval
The chair then formally puts the motions ‘That the report be approved.’ This does not need to be proposed by a member. If amendments have been carried, the chair moves, ‘That the report in its amended form be approved.’ The final motion for the approval cannot be discussed or amended; it must be accepted or rejected in its entirety. Having approved the motion, the meeting should then prepare to pass the resolutions necessary to give effect to the report.
Reports from executive and district committees
Branch committees and working parties are under the control of the branch. Executive or district councils are however responsible to the union or district as a whole, and reports from them should be treated differently.
When reports of such bodies come before the branch, if they are not available in duplicated form they should first be read over and afterwards be minuted as having been read. The chair then asks: ‘Is there anything arising from the report?’ If any of the members take exception to the manner in which some of the items in the report have been dealt with by the administrative body, for example the executive council, they may move a motion protesting to the executive against the policy contained in the report, and asking the latter to reconsider its decision. In the absence of any such motion, the executive would be justified in assuming that the branch completely approved of the policy of the report.
Formal approval
The branch may not, however, reject the report as a whole, nor can they amend it. (The executive council or district committee is, of course, at liberty to act upon its own resolutions as soon as these have been passed. But in contentious matters it may well be advisable for the senior body to wait until it ascertains whether the branches generally approve of the policy of the resolution passed.) After matters arising from the report have been dealt with, the chair formally puts the motion ‘That the report be approved’. If some items have not been approved the motion should add ‘with the exception of items numbered….’ This is voted upon without discussion.
Reports from delegates
Union branches appoint deputations or delegations to local bodies such as trades councils or Labour Parties, and to special conferences and meetings, and expect a report from the delegates about what has happened. Where there have been several delegates they should decide which individual should make the report; it is better to have one report from the whole delegation than several separate versions. Any delegate may supplement briefly a report given by another, and if any differ entirely on some points from their colleagues they are at liberty to say so.
When a delegate is to give a report, the chair should invite them to the front of the room. This adds to the importance of the report and saves the audience from having to turn round to hear the speaker. It also enables the person doing the reporting to put their notes on the table.
It is always advisable that wherever possible the delegates submit their report in writing, but this does not always happen. However, in debate, all reports are assumed to be written, and not verbal. Hence, the first motion, when the report of a delegate comes before the meeting, might be ‘That the report be accepted as having been read.’ But where a verbal report has been given, it would be better if the motion was ‘That the report be accepted as having been given’. The branch, after passing this formal motion (recording that the delegates or deputation have fulfilled their duty) may then ask questions about and discuss the items arising from the report, dealing with them as if they were from an executive or district committee.
Balance sheets and auditors’ reports
Branch balance sheets should be read by the auditors, who give a report on the condition of the books, and on whether the balance sheet accurately reflects the position of the accounts. Where substantial sums of money are concerned, the balance sheet should be circulated in advance of the meeting. It is not the auditors’ duty to criticise the policy of the items as they are not concerned with the reasons for the expenditure. That is a matter for the branch or the committee. But they must see that the balance sheet truly describes the financial position of the society, and that the expenditure has been properly authorised. As soon as the report and balance sheet have been read a motion should be moved, ‘That the report and balance sheet be accepted as having been read.’ Where a balance sheet has been circulated beforehand, it is always formally accepted ‘as having been read.’ This is passed formally without discussion.
Discussion on balance sheet
A further motion should then be proposed: ‘That the auditors’ report and balance sheet be approved.’ Questions and discussions may then be allowed on the items figuring on the balance sheet, which may be criticised by the meeting, and amendments are permissible. The meeting can refuse to accept any item on the balance sheets. If so, the correct course is to move an amendment ‘That item x on the balance sheet be referred back to the auditors.’ if this is carried the final motion would read, ‘That the report and balance sheet as amended be approved.’ If they desire, the members may then give instructions by motions about future financial policy. Alternatively they may by amendment refer back the whole balance sheet and report.
The balance sheets of executive and district committees are treated as part of the reports of such bodies, and should be dealt with by the branches as indicated above.
Visiting Speakers
Preliminary arrangements
Trade union branches and local political parties will often have talks from guest speakers. Careful arrangements should be made for this. The talk should be well publicised in advance – for example, on the notice of meeting – so that there is a good attendance, and the secretary should consult the speaker about the precise subject on which they will talk, the length of their address and on the time to be allowed for questions. The secretary should also let the speaker know when their talk is due to begin so that they do not need to sit around listening to routine business. It is tactful to clear the question of any fees or expenses in advance, to avoid embarrassment (on both sides) after the meeting.
Introduction to audience
At the meeting itself, the chair should ask someone to sit near the door and keep an eye open for the speaker. As soon as they arrive, they should be shown to the top table (where a seat will have been reserved) and welcomed by the chair with a hand-shake. The chair’s introduction of the speaker should be brief and limited to their name, the organisation they represent and their position in it (with reference to their record and achievements in public life if this is relevant), and the subject they are to speak about.
After the speech, there will usually be a discussion and the speaker should be given the opportunity of replying to questions if they so desire. Questions should be directed through the chair, and the chair should ask the speaker whether they would prefer to answer each question separately, or reply to them in a group. Any questions which are not relevant to the address should be ruled out of order by the chair. The chair should then call for a vote of thanks or they can move it formally themselves if they so desire. It is even better if, before the speaker’s arrival, the chair can arrange with some member to propose the vote of thanks. A few brief words of appreciation are usually uttered as a preamble to the vote, which is then given by acclamation, no seconder being necessary or appropriate.