Conference

Delegate attendance

Reps who’d like to attend conference must register their interest by the deadline date given by the union. Places are limited and fill up fast!

Delegation numbers are allocated based on the level of membership within each employer / business area. 

Unfortunately, not everyone who wants to attend may be able to but for those who can, time off to attend is paid by the business so you don’t need to use holiday. However, confirmed delegates must give their line manager as much notice of attendance as possible.

Delegates are expected to represent members from their business area and act as ambassadors for Accord throughout conference.

Delegates are encouraged to contribute whenever appropriate by speaking on any relevant issues and in debates.

They should prepare by:

• Being aware of any motions submitted by the members they represent
• Proposing or speaking on these motions
• Being prepared to represent the contrary points of view on behalf of their members

How we work out delegation sizes

We use our membership data and active reps to determine the sizes of our delegations for each business we represent in. We'll publish all of this information, including maximum delegation sizes, as we organise each conference.

Motions

Motions give delegates the opportunity to help shape Accord’s agenda for the next two years. They seek changes to the way in which members are managed, changes to terms and conditions of employment and improvements to their working environment.

They will typically be submitted by groups of members. Either by branches or department teams.

Motions must be submitted to Accord HQ by the deadline given by the union. They’ll then be considered by the Standing Orders Committee (SOC), alongside Accord’s President and General Secretary.

Those that make it into the agenda will usually be grouped together so that similar issues can be debated collectively, or where they seek conflicting outcomes.

Not all motions that are submitted will be debated at conference. The PEC have overall responsibility for the agenda of conference, and any motions that are not debated during the conference period will be decided upon and taken forward by the PEC.

Once a motion has been presented to conference, we'll open up for debate for those that wish to speak either in favour or against the motion. After the debate has concluded, or the conference chair has brought the debate to an end, we'll open up for voting. You can read more about the voting process in the next section of this guide.

How to write a motion

Here are some tips on what to consider when writing motions

• Make your motion simple to follow – avoid technical terms & business jargon
• Make it easy to understand – keep it clear and simple
• Don’t try to explain everything at once – that’s what the supporting speech is for
• Ask for an outcome and suggest a solution to the issue
• Try not to criticise colleagues in other business areas – they may be at conference and you may need their support

Example motions

Standing orders for conference

These are the rules that govern how conference business is conducted.

The standing orders are developed and agreed by the Standing Orders Committee to ensure a smooth-running conference. As a result, standing orders may change from conference to conference and will be published in advance.

Voting

All motions debated at conference are voted on by conference delegates. Our past conferences have used by a traditional 'show of hands' vote and electronic voting.

How voting works:

• If all delegates vote in favour, a motion is carried unanimously
• If the majority of delegates vote in favour, a motion is carried
• If all or majority of delegates vote against, a motion falls

All motions carried become part of Accord’s agenda for the next two years.

Terminology glossary

Whether you're new to Accord's conference, or whether you've been a delegate in the past, it's essential you know what we mean by certain terms. Here's a list of the important terms you will hear in connection with conference.