Napo and Accountability

Regular readers will be aware that there have been long-standing concerns regarding the dysfunctionality of Napo at the top. Thanks go to the Napo member for forwarding details of an interesting report and motion to be discussed at the next London Branch meeting scheduled for Friday 26th May:-

NEC report to London Branch meeting 26/05/2017

I regret to inform the Branch that the NEC meeting scheduled for 23/03/2017 was cancelled by the National Officers and Officials group at the ‘eleventh hour’ due to ‘concerns around quoracy’.

Included in the notification was a ‘confidentiality agreement’ that NEC reps now have to sign, this is not in the Constitution and was not agreed by an NEC meeting nor is there an AGM policy permitting this. If there is a breach of confidentiality we already have a disciplinary process in place to deal with such events. We feel this is unacceptable to impose without following democratic process.

NEC reps were incensed that yet another NEC meeting has been cancelled and that democracy is being removed from this union which we feel is an unacceptable position.

Having NEC reps confirm attendance prior to a meeting is a new concept as previously you had to send apologies if you couldn’t attend. There is no policy altering this position.

The NEC reps called for an emergency NEC meeting which is going to be held on the 6th June. Although this is outside the time specified by the constitution when calling an emergency meeting we felt it was important to have this face to face meeting.

As your NEC reps we have major concerns about our ability to be able to hold the National Officers and Officials to account if they feel they can cancel NEC meetings almost at will. Please support the motion we are presenting in order to enable the membership to address what we perceive to be an erosion of democracy, accountability and transparency at the top of our union.

The ‘emergency’ NEC meeting will be held on the 6th June and the regular scheduled NEC meeting is on the 22nd June so hopefully we will have lots to report to the annual Branch AGM on Friday 21st July 2017.

London Branch NEC Co reps.

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8. NEC Motion 

Motion to NEC re NEC meetings and accountability. 

This Branch believes that the NEC is vital in order to hold the National Officers and Officials to account and enable the Union to undertake its business. 

This Branch understands the last meeting of the NEC was cancelled due to a perceived lack of attendees and feel that scheduled NEC meetings should never be cancelled due to quoracy. 

This Branch further understands that the TUO committee is currently examining the way we organise NEC meetings and will be making recommendations to AGM. 

This Branch requests the TUO take the following considerations into account: 

1. Examine whether quoracy can be lowered in the same way AGM quoracy was lowered in order to expedite business. 

2. Examine Section 9 of the constitution and tighten it up to make it more difficult to cancel NEC meetings in future. 

3. Revisit returning to sending apologies for absence instead of confirmations of attendance.  

London Branch NEC Co reps.