96
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
mwimmi
Reference :-
885/26
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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open to the electorate so constituted to choose as their representative any member or official of the Association who is employed in the Civil Service or, if not a person so employed, is a full-time officer of the Association. The election shall in all cases be under the authority of the Association concerned. Although certain questions relating to classes employed in two or more Departments will be dealt with by special Grade Committees of the National Council, this fact shall not preclude members in those classes from being elected to serve on the Departmental Council.
(4) The Council shall cover all Civil Servants employed in the Colonial Office who are not included in the Joint Bodies for the Government Industrial Establishments.
(5) It shall be open to the authorities appointing the respective sides of the Council to vary their representatives, on written notice to the Secretary of the side concerned.
(6) The first Council shall be appointed to serve until the close of the Annual Meeting in the year 1920.
(7) Casual vacancies may be filled by the authority concerned in the same manner as the original appointments. Provided always that where a representa tive cannot attend a meeting of the Council, an accredited deputy may he appointed pro hac vice by the authority concerned.
OFFICERS.
(8) Chairman and Vice-Chairman.—The Chairman shall be a member of, and shall be nominated by, the Official Side, and the Vice-Chairman_shall be a member of, and shall be nominated by, the Staff Side of the Council. In the event of the temporary absence of either officer, a substitute may be appointed by the side con- cerned, who shall hold office until the Chairman or Vice-Chairman, as the case may be, is again available.
(9) Secretaries. Each side of the Council shall appoint a Secretary or Secretaries, who may or may not be members of the Council.
(10) Quorum.-The quorum shall be six.
(11) Meetings, &c. The ordinary meetings of the Council shall be held as often as necessary, and not less than once a quarter: the meeting in the month of October shall be the annual meeting. An agenda paper shall be circulated to all members not less than seven days before the meetings of the Council.
Business not on the agenda paper shall be taken only by permission of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman. A special meeting of the Council may be called by the Chairman on his own initiative or at the request of the Vice-Chairman. The business to be discussed at such special meetings shall be limited to matters stated upon the notice summoning the meeting.
(12) The Council shall draw up such standing orders and rules for the conduct of its business as it may deem necessary.
Objects and FUNCTIONS.
(13) General Objects.-The general objects of the Council shall be to secure the greatest measure of co-operation between the Administration, in its capacity as employer, and the general body of the staff in matters affecting the Department, with a view to increased efficiency in the Department combined with the well-being of those employed; to provide machinery for dealing with grievances, and generally to bring together the experience and different points of view of members of the Colonial Office respecting conditions of service within the Department.
FUNCTIONS.
(14) The scope of the Council shall comprise all matters which affect the condi- tions of service of the staff in the Department, and its functions shall include the following
(i) Provision of the best means for utilizing the ideas and experience of the
staff.
(ii) Means for securing to the staff a greater share in and responsibility for the determination and observance of the conditions under which their duties are carried out.
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(iii) Determination of the general principles governing conditions of service, e.g., recruitment, hours, tenure, and remuneration, in so far as they are peculiar to members of the staff of the Department.
(iv) The encouragement of the further education of the staff, and their
training in higher administration and organization.
(v) Improvement of office machinery and organization and the provision of opportunities for the full consideration of suggestions by the staff on this subject.
(vi) The consideration of proposed legislation so far as it has a bearing upon the position of members of the staff in relation to their employment in the Department.
(vii) The discussion of the general principles governing superannuation and
their application to the members of the staff in the Department. (15) Promotion and Discipline.—Without prejudice to the responsibility of the Head of the Department for making promotions and maintaining discipline, it shall be within the competence of the Council—
(i) to discuss any promotion in regard to which it is represented by the Staff Side that the principles of promotion accepted by or with the sanction of the National Council have been violated; and
(ii) to discuss any case in which disciplinary action has been taken if it is
represented by the Staff Side that such a course is desirable.
(16) Questions common to the Colonial Office and one or more other Depart- ments, not being general questions, shall be reported to the National Council. The Council may request the National Council to appoint a Chairman for inter-depart- mental meetings for the consideration of such questions.
COMMITTEES.
(17) The Council may appoint Standing Committees, Special Committees, Grade Committees, and other Committees as required, and may delegate special powers to any Commitee so appointed.
(18) The Council may appoint to Special Committees persons who need not necessarily be members of the Council. Grade Committees shall consist of repre- sentatives of the grade concerned and official representatives, such persons not nécessarily being members of the Council.
DECISIONS.
(19) The decisions of the Council shall be without prejudice to
(a) the overriding authority of Parliament and the responsibility of the
Head of the Department as such;
(b) the responsibility of the Staff Side to its constituent bodies;
(c) the authority of the National Council as the only Joint Body competent
to deal with general questions;
shall be arrived at by agreement between the two sides, shall be signed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, shall be reported to the Head of the Department and shall be operative.
(20) It shall be the duty of the Chairman to ensure that decisions reach the proper executive authority without delay.
(21) In the event of disagreement on a question of remuneration within the terms of reference of the Civil Service Arbitration Board, it will be remitted to that Board for adjudication. Fixed machinery is not created to deal with other questions on which agreement may not be arrived at and which are outside the Board's terms of reference, as its existence would necessarily impair the influence and authority of the Departmental Council. Moreover, these questions will vary considerably in their nature and importance and will call for varying treatment. A way out of a deadlock may in some cases be found by informal consultation between the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, in others by referring the matter to an informal Committee consisting of the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman and the Secretaries. In other cases some other solution may be feasible. In view of these considerations no specific provision is made in this Constitution for cases (othe: than remuneration cases) where the Council may fail to reach agreement on questions which it is competent to decide, and such cases are left to be dealt with individually as and when they arise. The Council may seek the advice of the National Council in cases of difficulty.