AGS election details

Details of the new Assistant General Secretary elections have been agreed at the 4 July meeting of the union's National Executive Committee.

BECTU's Rules Revision Conference on 12 June adopted new rules which create the posts of two elected Assistant General Secretaries (AGSs) and abolish that of Deputy General Secretary after Roy Lockett retires on 15 August. The AGSs, like the General Secretary, will be members of the National Executive Committee by virtue of their positions.

The union's National Executive Committee (NEC) has appointed Electoral Reform Ballot Services Ltd (ERBS) to be the independent scrutineer required by law to oversee the election of the AGSs and instructed the union's administrative officer, David Cormack, to publish to branches the "ground rules" agreed by the NEC for the conduct of the elections.

These set out the following main conditions:

  • there will be two simultaneous elections, one among members in the Arts & Entertainment, BBC and Independent Broadcasting divisions, and one among members in the Laboratories, London Production and Regional Production divisions (for the purposes of these elections these are referred to as "divisional groupings")
  • candidates must be paid-up members (but not student, temporary, overseas, retired, life or honorary members, or those whose membership is lodged), or employees or non-members of the union
  • an eligible candidate may be nominated for election in either divisional grouping, or in both, subject to the requirements on nomination
  • nomination of a candidate for election in one divisional grouping can only be made by a branch which has members in that grouping, and each candidate has to be nominated by at least ten such branches, or where such branches have a combined membership of over 1000
  • no body of the union other than a branch may nominate or make declarations of support for any candidate, and branches must use a nomination form prescribed by the NEC
  • candidates may submit election addresses of no more than 600 words, to be sent direct to the independent scrutineer
  • branches can invite candidates to address meetings, provided all candidates in that election are invited
  • during the election period no assistance of any sort will be made available by the union to candidates including access to the union's journal and website for the purpose of campaigning
  • employees of the union must abide by the ground rules
  • if balloting is required it will be by post to the last address notified to the union by each member and carried out by ERBS
  • student, temporary, overseas, retired, life and honorary members, and those whose membership is lodged, are not eligible to vote.

The timetable for the elections is:

10 September 1999 closing date for receipt of nominations in each election

20 September 1999 balloting opens (if necessary)

19 November 1999 balloting closes

The full texts of the main contractual terms for the elected AGSs and the ground rules for the conduct of the elections are contained in a branch circular being sent to branch secretaries [see related pages below].

Members who wish to have an input to the process of electing the AGSs should contact their branch officers. Branches should convene meetings to consider the nomination of candidates.

5 July 1999