Affiliation
Article 1
1. An organisation which requests affiliation to the WCT must enclose with its request a copy of its Statutes, regulations and programme together with a declaration asserting that it subscribes expressly to the Declaration of Principles, Statutes and Programme of the WCT and agrees to conform to them.
2. The General Secretary, who prepares for the Confederal Board an examination of the request for affiliation, will ask for all the documents and data judged necessary to establish whether the organisation under consideration is a free trade union organisation inspired by the same principles as the WCT.
3. The organisation requesting affiliation must supply these documents and data.
4. The decision of the Confederal Board concerning the request for affiliation is communicated to the organisation concerned by registered letter, signed by the President and the General Secretary. The letter will also state the reasons on which the decision has been based - in the event of the organisation being accepted - and the date from which the affiliation will become effective.
5. When the decision concerns an organisation admitted as an extraordinary member, the letter will also set forth the particular rights and duties of the organisation such as they have been determined by the Confederal Board.
6. A copy of the letter referred to in paragraph 4 is sent to the other affiliated organisations and to the regional organisation concerned.
Article 2
1. In the case provided for in Article 8 of the Statutes, affiliation may only be pronounced by the Confederal Board after consultation of the already affiliated organisations and the regional organisation concerned.
2. When the opinion of the organisations consulted is favourable in the case provided for the above paragraph, the Confederal Board makes a decision on affiliation by a simple majority vote. When the opinion of one or more of the consulted organisations is unfavourable, the Confederal Board may finally only pronounce in favour of the affiliation on a qualified majority of two-thirds.
3. When the request for affiliation is made by an organisation wishing to be admitted as an extraordinary member in a country where there is already an affiliated organisation, the secretariat must submit to the Confederal Board a detailed report assessing the general situation of trade unionism in the country in question and in the context of the continent concerned. Prior to this, the secretariat must ask for the opinions, with reasons, al all organisations concerned.
MEMBERSHIP FEES
GENERAL RULE
Article 3
According to the terms of the WCT Statutes, the member organisations communicate the number of paying members before 15 February of the running year. They also communicate the number of effective members of their organisation on 31 December of the past year.
Except other arrangements agreed upon by the Confederal Board, the organisations pay their membership-dues directly on the bank account of the WCT in Brussels
Article 4
The member organisations pay their membership-dues directly on the bank account of the WCT in Brussels. They pay an indexed amount, reviewed on a year basis according to the index fluctuations used within the Public services in Belgium. This amount is transferred in US dollar or Euro. The membership fees the WCT member organisations transfer to the regional organisations are part of the membership fees to the WCT and are taken up in the financial accounts of the WCT.
OTHER STIPULATIONS
Article 5
To the member organisations from continents or parts of continents where, in the reasonable judgement of the Confederal Board, the political, economic and social situation makes it impossible to pay the membership fees in accordance with the stipulations contained in the articles 3 and 4, the following stipulations apply
1. The regulations deviating from the articles 3 and 4 always require the prior written consent from the Treasurer.
2. The member organisations concerned are officially members of the WCT, if they fulfil the conditions in the opinion of the relevant decision-making body of the WCT.
Their formal status within the WCT is the equal to the one of the other affiliates.
3. The voice of the organisations concerned in all relevant matters is related to the dues they each pay per member
The right to vote is determined on this basis. The transferred amounts are converted in US dollars to determine the effective number of paying members to the WCT and on which basis the voting rights are fixed according to the Statutes.
4. Should the direct payment of the complete dues or part of them to the WCT in Brussels prove to be impossible, The purpose is to introduce a system according to which the affiliates referred to in this note transfer their membership dues to a separate account in their respective countries.
If this proves to be evidently impossible, the budget and financial accounts of the organisation in question has to include a relevant item.
5. The account or the item in the budget and financial account mentioned in point 4 must take such a shape that only (a member of) the Board of the organisation concerned andthe treasurer of the WCT can jointly money from that account.
6. The treasurer of the WCT is informed (in writing) of each transaction from/to that account/ item in the budget and financial account.
7. Initiatives, the cost of which are borne by the account/budget item and financial accounts referred to, have to be described.
If the initiatives emanate from the WCT, the invitation of WCT will mention if the reserved dues are earmarked for them.
If they emanate from the regional organisations, the reserved dues can only be used after a consultation between the regional organisation concerned and the treasurer.
As regards all other activities, the reserved dues can only be used with the prior written approval of the treasurer.
8. The interest yield of the account referred to in this note keeps benefiting the same account.
9. The transfer/budgetary provision of the membership dues takes place in the own national currencies.
10. The credit balance of the account/budget provision is basically property of the WCT. If, for whatever reason, the links between the organisation concerned and the WCT cease to exist, the WCT is basically entitled to use that balance for its own benefit or to transfer it to its own account without this requiring the express approval of the organisation concerned.
11. Periodically the Executive Committee of the WCT and the Board of the organisation concerned will jointly examine if the economic and financial situation in the country in question is changing/has changed in such a way that another way to pay dues to the WCT can be introduced.
1. EXPULSION
2.
3. Article 6
4.
1. A proposal to expel an affiliated organization may only be made to the Confederal Board by the Executive Committee, by another affiliated organization or by a regional organization. The proposal must always be accompanied by an account of the reasons on which it is based.
2. The decision of the Confederal Board concerning the proposal for expulsion will be communicated to the organization in question by registered letter signed by the President and General Secretary. The letter must indicate :
3.
a. the reasons for the decision ;
b. the date from which the expulsion will become effective ;
c. the financial obligations still incumbent on the expelled organization with regard to the WCT ;
d. the possibilities for appeal and the procedures to be followed in this case.
1.
3. A copy of the letter referred to in paragraph 2 will be sent to the other affiliated organization.
1.
2. THE REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
3.
4. Article 7
5.
6. The internal structures and Statutes of the regional organizations may not stand in the way of direct relations between the affiliated organizations of each region and the WCT.
7. The Statutes have to secure the democratic character and democratic functioning of the regional organizations. They must not be inconsistent with the Statutes and Internal Regulations of the WCT.
8.
9. They should be submitted for the opinion to the Confederal Board of the WCT, as well as any proposed amendment to the Statutes, before being entered on the agenda of the Congress of the regional organization.
1.
2. Article 8
3.
4. The policy, programme and action of the regional organizations must conform to the general direction and scope of the policy, programme and action of the WCT, must in no case contradict the latter, and should be designed to strengthen and develop the WCT.
1.
2. Article 9
3.
4. The Declaration of Principles adopted by the regional organizations must not contradict the Declaration of Principles of the WCT.
Article 10
1. The regional organisations determine the amount of the subscriptions they will levy on the affiliated organisations of their respective regions, subject to the general arrangements adopted in this field by the Congress or the Confederal Board of the WCT.
2. Financial measures taken by the regional organisations must in no case have the effect of preventing or hindering the payment of subscriptions by the affiliated organisations to the WCT.
3.
Article 11
In so far as a regional organisation is not yet in a position to meet its own needs by its own resources, and needs direct or indirect financial assistance from the WCT, the regional organisation must be consulted prior to any decision that concerns it. Further more, the regional organisation must consult the WCT before taking any important financial decision not included in the budget jointly agreed upon. Moreover, the regional organisations must allow the WCT to supervise its administration, financial affairs and book-keeping.
Article 12
The regional organizations must communicate in good time to the WCT general secretariat, the agenda and relevant documents for the meetings of their statutory bodies, to enable the Confederal Board or General Secretariat to send representatives to these meetings if they so wish.
Article 13
1. The regional organizations may not become affiliated to any organization alien to the WCT unless they have the approval of the Confederal Board of the WCT.
2. The establishment of the contacts and possibly agreements for joint action with the other organizations in the region is a matter that comes within the competence of the regional themselves.
Article 14
When they are requested, the regional organizations must furnish the General Secretary of the WCT with all the information he may need to prepare his report or with any other documents having a bearing on the items of the agenda for the sessions of the Congress, Confederal Board and the Executive Committee.
THE CONGRESS
Article 15
1. The affiliated organizations must show no discrimination whatsoever in the composition of their delegations to the Congress.
2. The Congress assembles at least once every four years, and whenever the Confederal Board deems it necessary.
3. When at least 25% of the affiliated organizations, as defined in Article 6 of the Statutes, make a written reasoned request, accompanied by an agenda, an assembly of the Congress must be convened within three months of the receipt of this request.
4. The Confederal Board decides on the languages to be used for the documents and proceedings of the Congress sessions.
5. For each Congress session, the Confederal Board will submit a draft standing order for the approval of the Congress at the first meeting.
6. Invitations to the Congress sessions must be sent to the affiliated organizations at least six months before the date of the Congress.
7. Organizations wishing to submit motions to the Congress must make them know, together with reasons in writing, at least one month before the date of the Congress, a relevant motion can be moved at the beginning of the Congress.
8. The agenda of a Congress session must be sent to the affiliated organizations at least four months before the date of the Congress.
9. No organization can take advantage of the fact that the agenda of a Congress has not been placed in its possession.
10.The affiliated organizations are required to notify the general secretariat at least two months before the Congress session of the composition of their respective delegations, indicating which of the delegates are empowered to vote and which are only observers.
11.Documents which are set forth as reports must be sent to the affiliated organizations at least three months and other documents at least two months before the date of the session.
12.Travelling and accommodation expenses of the delegates must be borne by their organizations. Travelling and accommodation expenses of the members of the Executive Committee and the staff of the general secretariat of the WCT, whose presence is required at the Congress, are borne by the WCT.
THE CONFEDERAL BOARD
Article 16
1. Apart from the President, the Treasurer, the General Secretary and the Members who are elected directly in this capacity by the Congress, the allocation of seats on the Confederal Board is carried out as follows, in accordance to Article 18-4 of the Statutes.
2. One seat is reserved for each of the Presidents of the regional organizations or their respective deputies designed for this purpose.
3. A number of additional seats is reserved for each regional organization on the basis of the membership figures for which the national organizations pay regularly the fixed dues to the WCT, in accordance with the table at the end of this article.
4. If no seat of a regional organisation on the Confederal Board is occupied by a woman, the organization in question can appoint a woman in charge of equal opportunities at the regional level to sit on the Confederal Board of the WCT.
5. The outgoing President of the WCT can be co-opted as a regular member of the Confederal Board, provided that the majority of the members of the Confederal Board agrees with this.
6. Any person representing the WCT on a seat on a worldwide body of the WCL is by right regular member of the Confederal Board of the WCT. This right ends with the vacating of the seat.
Number of members
Number of seats
1 - 50,000
1
50,001 - 100,000
2
100,001 - 150,000
3
150,001 - 225,000
4
225,001 - 300,000
5
1 additional seat for each additional block of 100,000 paid-up members.
Article 17
Nominations for the post of President, General Secretary, Treasurer, Members and Member of the Confederal Board may only be made by affiliated organizations that have fulfilled their obligations with regard to the subscriptions since the previous Congress. They should be sent to the Secretary General at least 3 months before the date of the Congress and all organizations should be informed of them at least at the beginning of the Congress.
Article 18
1. The Confederal Board meets once a year and whenever the executive Committee deems it necessary.
2. When at least two-thirds of the members of the Confederal Board make a written request to this effect, accompanied by a draft agenda, a meeting with the Confederal Board must be convened within two months of the receipt of the request. If their wish is not satisfied, the members of the Confederal Board who made the request themselves convene a meeting of the Confederal Board. In this case, the meeting may only consider the items of the agenda for which the meeting was called.
3. The Confederal Board decides which languages are to be used for the documents and proceedings of the meeting.
4. The agenda and relevant documents for each meeting of the Confederal Board must be sent to the members of the Confederal Board at least one month before the date of the meeting.
5. All travelling expenses incurred by the members of the Confederal Board - or their alternate - by their attendance at the meeting of the Confederal Board are to be borne by their respective organizations. The accommodation expenses are borne by the WCT. Travelling and accommodation expenses of the members of the Executive Committee are borne by the WCT.
VOTING PROCEDURES
Article 19
1. a) Votes concerning persons are cast secret ballot.
b) At Congress sessions, votes other than those concerning persons may be cast by a show of hands, but a secret ballot may be held, if the Executive Committee or the Congress considers the results doubtful, or if a secret ballot is requested by five voting delegates.
c) At meetings of the Confederal Board, votes other than those concerning persons are cast by a show of hands ; this regulation may be waived as result of an appropriate decision by the body in question.
2. Except where provisions to the contrary are made in the Statutes or present Internal Regulations, all decisions must be taken by an absolute majority of votes cast.
3. when voting for the election of persons does not produce an absolute majority, a new ballot must be taken between the candidates, who, in terms of votes cast, are classed in the first and second positions. The result of this ballot will be determined by a simple majority of the votes cast.
4. In the event of a tie, when voting for a person, the older of the candidates will be considered as elected. In other votes, the proposal will be considered as rejected.
5. Blank votes are considered null and void.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Article 20
The Executive Committee meets at least four times a year, and also whenever the President deems it necessary or when half the members plus one ask for a meeting.
REPLACEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT
Article 21
The President may delegate the Vice-President or, in the event of the latter’s absence, one of the Vice-Presidents to replace him as chairman at the meetings of the Executive Committee, Confederal Board or Congress or in the exercise of his mandate.
EMOLUMENTS
Article 22
The members of the executive Committee and Confederal Board who are not associated with the WCT by employment contracts do not receive remuneration. However, the Confederal Board may grant emoluments to them for activities they perform in the interests of the WCT.
SECRETARIAT
Article 23
1. It pertains to the General Secretary to engage and dismiss members of the staff of the secretariat.
2. The legal status of the staff members is determined in consultation with the appropriate workers’ organizations in the country where the WCT has its headquarters.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Article 24
1. The Finance Committee, as defined in Article 30 of the Statutes, is composed of at least three members. When it functions as an auditing committee it cannot include among its members any member of the general secretariat.
2. It meets whenever the tasks entrusted to it render a meeting necessary.
3. The operating expenses of the committee are borne by the WCT.
AMENDMENTS
Article 25
The Congress may only make amendments to the present regulations if a proposal to this effect is submitted beforehand. The issue is determined by an absolute majority of the votes cast.
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