GSG 26-20 10th Biennial Conference 2020
06/October/2020
Description
As you will be aware from the contents of GS circular 25/20, the National Executive Council of the Communications Workers’ Union has decided to hold our Biennial Conference remotely online. To that end we have already begun posting out the reports, etc for the conference.
Due to the recent restrictions placed on people by Government as a result of the Covid pandemic it is likely that the bulk of almost three hundred participants in our conference will be logging into the conference on an individual basis and managing those numbers through the technology will be a very difficult task for the President and Vice President. Therefore, it is critical that all branches and delegates respect the chair and understand the issues that will be presented to the organisers of the conference.
In the coming days you will receive a document outlining how each individual delegate must log on and indeed the timescales for that operation. Delegates will only be entitled to vote and claim expenses in circumstances where that log on has been completed. We also expect that branch committees will decide in advance on the speakers on the various topics and will also have some idea of speakers who might want to elaborate on their positions or indeed to speak on other issues.
The agenda and reports will be structured to allow maximum amount of participation by delegates and I am confident that with your co-operation we can make this remote online conference a success. There is no reason why we should not be able to complete our business and to agree a policy platform for our new National Executive Council going forward.
Therefore it is essential that all delegates ensure that they have received all the necessary materials, ensure that they understand the protocols for managing the conference and ensure that they understand the technical needs in terms of the zoom hosting platform and in terms of the log on process. If any delegate has any issues with the above, I urge that they contact their branch secretary immediately in order that we can resolve the issues for them here from Union headquarters.
I look forward to our interaction over the conference and while it won’t make up for the disappointment of the cancellation of the physical event, it is my sincere hope that at least it plots a future path for the Union.