Conference 2024

Conference venue

Accord's 2024 conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel in central Glasgow (1 William Street, Glasgow G3 8HT)

Conference programme 

You'll find the formal order of business for Accord's conference 2024. This may be subject to change due should unexpected situations arise.

Conference registration

Registration for conference 2024 is now closed. If you've not been allocated a space, but are interested in attending we're holding a reserve list in case of cancellations.

Any queries should be sent to [email protected]

Conference contacts

If you have any questions about conference, you'll be able to contact our conference organising team below.

Louise Gray and Chris Rimell are our conference organisers and will be able to assist with any queries relating to the event.

Krisna Lakhani is our conference liaison officer and will help with any concerns, queries or help you need during your time at conference i.e. issues relating to accommodation, lost or stolen items, feeling unwell.

About conference

Accord’s biennial delegate conference is held every two years at venues throughout the UK.

Conference is hosted by the union’s Principal Executive Council (PEC) and takes place over two days.

The purpose of conference is to set Accord’s agenda for the next two years. This is done by workplaces submitting motions which are debated and voted on by delegates. You can read more about motions on this web page.

The agenda is divided into sections to reflect Accord’s main campaigning areas:

• Dignity at work
• Fair reward
• Security of employment
• Union policy and external matters (such as rule changes)
  

When conference is in session, it’s chaired by Accord’s president, or one of the vice-presidents.

Around 120 people will be in attendance at the 2024 conference, including delegates, speakers and union staff.

Guest speakers are invited from the main employers that we work with and external bodies like the TUC. They address issues of interest and relevance to members and will usually engage with delegates in Q&A sessions.

Conference provides a great opportunity for Accord reps to meet new people from the union, discuss the issues of the day and make their voices heard. We hope they’ll also have an enjoyable and memorable time. 

Accessibility

We aim to make conference accessible for everyone, no matter what your needs may be. We ask all delegates to let us know what requirements you may have so that we can make any necessary arrangements.

The hotel is fully accessible and has a number of accessible bedrooms which have bigger bathrooms, more space around the bed, stability handles and an emergency pull cord. All other bedrooms have walk-in showers and are accessible using the lifts. These will be allocated to delegates who request one in their delegate requirement form.

The event floor is fully accessible with lifts to the ground floor with access to accessible bathrooms.

If you have any requirements during conference, do let us know at [email protected].

Delegate attendance

We'll be inviting reps to attend conference, but places are limited and fill up fast!

Delegates can travel on Wednesday 17th April, and accommodation will be provided so the Conference can start promptly at 9.30am on the 18th. Conference will finish at lunch time on Friday 19th April.

Delegation numbers are allocated based on a number of factors which includes us looking at our membership levels across employers, regions and business divisions as well as our knowledge of local issues.

For those who are able to attend, paid time off work is granted by the business, so delegates 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 employer and business division, 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

As well as attending the formal arrangements of conference, there’s also time for delegates to relax and unwind. There’ll be evening events and time to explore the city.

Dignity & respect policy

Accord is committed to promoting an environment and culture where individuals feel valued for their contribution and can do so in a safe, respectful and inclusive environment. This policy statement applies to all conference attendees whether you're: a voting or non-voting delegate, a visitor, a guest, or a member of the union's staff.

The intention is not to spoil the fun but to ensure that this conference is an enjoyable experience for everybody, and that everybody is treated with dignity and respect.

Accord has zero tolerance for any type of bullying and harassment including: 

• Aggressive
• Offensive
• Intimidatory
• Disrespectful or
• Unacceptable behaviour or comments will not be tolerated.

This supports the commitment set out in Accord’s rules to promote equality for all and to eliminate all forms of harassment, including: 

• Sexual harassment
• Prejudice and
• Unfair discrimination

This policy applies to all aspects of communication at or in connection with our conference, including postings on social media. 

If you have any concerns about behaviour that you want to raise, then please contact our conference liaison officer, Krisna Lakhani - [email protected] or 07825 170 002

All complaints will be treated sympathetically and in the strictest confidence.

What is harassment?

Harassment is any unwanted conduct that could be physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct or bullying. It could relate to a one-off event or be ongoing. Harassment in any form, including sexual harassment is unacceptable and will be treated as a serious matter.

Although not exhaustive, some examples include:

• Physical: Touching, patting, pinching, assault, coercion for sexual favours or physical threats.
• Verbal: Unwelcome advances, nicknames, innuendo, insults, abusive or inappropriate language, degrading ‘banter’ or derogatory jokes or offensive terminology.
• Non-verbal: The display of pornographic or suggestive pictures, offensive or abusive gestures, objects, or written material, ignoring or excluding an individual.
• Bullying: Offensive, intimidating, insulting, humiliating or demeaning behaviour, including online which attempts to undermine an individual which in turn affects relationships.

An individual raising an issue will usually be doing so because the behaviour was unwelcomed, unwarranted and has had a detrimental impact upon them.

What to do if you feel you are being harassed?

Make it clear to the harasser that their behaviour is unacceptable. If the behaviour does not stop or is of a serious nature report it to Krisna Lakhani, our conference liaison officer. Krisna will be available throughout the conference to provide help and support.

You can contact Krisna on [email protected] or 07825 170 002

Frequently asked questions

Whether you're attending conference in-person or virtually, you may have questions about our conference.

We've tried to answer as many of the questions you may have in our frequently asked questions section.

If you've got another question that's not covered by these, please contact us at [email protected]

Voting

Voting on all motions will be by show of voting paddles. Should an alternative system be used, then this will be explained by the conference Chair. Only delegates are permitted to vote.

How to vote:

• You will be directed to cast your vote by the conference Chair once the debate on a motion or group of motions has ended.
• You may vote on each motion.
• You’ll find a red and green voting paddles within your delegate pack. You’ll need these to cast your vote.
  • The green paddle should be used to support a motion
  • The red paddle should be used to reject a motion

Only delegates with voting rights will be given voting paddles.

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 Conference Standing Orders Committee (SOC).

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, a vote will be taken.

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

Taking abuse is not part of the job

During your stay at Accord’s conference, we are sure that you’ll be taking advantage of the hotel’s restaurant, bar or leisure facilities. When the day’s business ends, you may decide to use these facilities, and so many others – all roughly at the same time. 

For the hotel’s staff, being busy is part of the job... accepting abuse is not! So, when you are waiting for your meal or when you want to order drinks please remember:

The person serving you is trying to do a job under pressure.

• The staff do not decide the staffing levels – they, too, would like more staff on duty at busy times.
• The staff did not make the licensing laws or take the decision to close the bar.
• Many hotel and catering staff are on the statutory minimum wage.

We, in the trade union movement, call for improvements to the statutory minimum wage. If you support this call but then shout or leer at the staff, you are giving with one hand and taking with the other.

So, please show respect for the people taking care of you during your time at conference. And remember you're representing Accord during your time at conference, and there may be business guests present as well as the general public too.

Photo & video consent

Photos and videos will be taken at conference which may include images of anyone in attendance. Accord may use these images and videos on our website, in newsletters, our member magazine or other promotional materials relating to the advertising of Accord. We may also attribute words to individuals speak on a motion, or if any individual agrees to be interviewed for a case study.

We ask all delegates in attendance if they are happy to agree to this through our delegate registration process.

If you have provided you consent, you're telling us that you feel completely happy with us using your images/word, and that you are doing so with no pressure or obligation from us. You'll be giving us full permission to use these images and any personal information you supply to us in materials promoting or advertising Accord. The images will not be used for any other purpose. The copyright of any material generated shall be assigned the property of Accord.

If you change your mind after providing your consent, you can contact Accord and ask us not to use your image or words for any new purposes. In these situations, we will do our best to remove any existing materials too if you ask us to, but we can't guarantee this (for example materials already shared on social media by others or printed materials).

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact [email protected].

Prayer/quiet room

The Forth Room located on the conference floor will be set aside for the duration of conference as a room for prayer, quiet and reflection. We'll have signage available throughout conference directing you to the room, and a reminder of this information will be available through the conference app.

We'd ask you to be respectful to others who may be using this room, and to refrain from using the room as a place to make phone calls or hold other conversations.

Standing orders for conference 2024

The rules that govern how conference business will be conducted are set out in our standing orders. The standing orders have been developed and agreed by the Standing Orders Committee to ensure a smooth-running conference.

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.