PSA Rule changes

Central Council, 11 February 2008, CC5/08

"That:

(1) That Rule 3 be amended to read:

"The Association shall be non-sectarian."

(2) That the current Rule 4 be deleted and a new Rule 4 be made to read:

"The Association shall have the absolute right to determine, publicise and publicly prosecute its official attitude or opposition to, or support, approval or disapproval, of the policy or lack of policy of any political party or any Parliamentary candidate."

(3) That Rule 35(a) be amended to read:

"(a) The Central Council shall consist of the Executive Officers and forty-five Delegates to the Central Council who shall be elected according to Schedule C of these Rules."

(4) That Rule 35(b) be amended to read:

"(b) There shall be a number of positions of Delegate reserved for members who work in Higher Education and for members who work in School Education. Each of the numbers of reserved positions shall be calculated by multiplying twice the number of financial members in the class concerned by the number of Delegates to the Central Council and dividing the result by three times the number of financial members in the Association."

(5) That Rule 93 be amended to read:

"The balloting material forwarded to each elector shall comprise:

a. a ballot paper;

b. a small plain envelope in which the voters shall enclose their completed ballot paper;

c. a postage free envelope addressed to the Returning Officer, care of a Post Office Box numbered in accordance with the Roll of Electors;

d. notification that candidate information and the list prepared under Rule 92 may be viewed by accessing the Association's website."

(6) That Rule 101(c) be amended to read:

"(c) Every election shall be by secret ballot, and shall be conducted by the voting system set out in Schedule C unless otherwise specified elsewhere in these Rules."

(7) That Rule 112(c) be amended to read:

"(c) the General Secretary be an Assistant General Secretary or, if an Assistant General Secretary is unavailable a person eligible for election to the office, appointed in writing by the General Secretary or if they have ceased to be a member of the Association by the Central Council;"

(8) That point 1. of Schedule C - Preferential Voting - be amended to read:

"1. A voter shall record their vote for at least the number of candidates to be elected by placing the number "1" and if necessary then numbers "2", "3", "4" and so on consecutively in the squares opposite the names of candidates in the order of the voter's preference for them.

A voter may, if the voter so desires, vote for additional candidates by placing further consecutive numbers in the squares opposite their names in the order of the voter's preferences.

If a voter records a vote on a ballot-paper by placing the number "1" in one of the group voting ticket squares, the ballot-paper shall be deemed to have recorded on it a vote in accordance with the relevant group voting ticket registered for the election."

Notice of motion given at December Central Council.