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Conference 2025

What is Conference?

The purpose of conference is to set Advance unions ’s agenda until we hold another conference in 18 months time – it’s part of the democratic processes that make Advance your union. We achieve this by workplaces submitting motions which are debated and voted on by workplace reps who are elected to represent you.

The agenda is divided into sections that reflect Advance Unions main campaigning areas:

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

Conference is hosted by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) and takes place over three days. When conference is in session, it’s chaired by Advance Union’s president, or vice-president.

 

 

Conference Arrangements

Please complete by 14 March 2025 Don't forget to let your manager know you are requesting this time off for trade union activities as soon as practical.

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Why reps want to attend

Conference provides a fantastic opportunity for Advance union reps to meet new people from across the union – including those working for different employers, sites and business areas – and discuss the issues facing you and our members at work. It’s an opportunity to make your voice count, and to ensure that the union tackles the issues that matter most to you.

All our  workplace reps are invited to attend conference to hear from guest speakers from Santander and many external bodies such as the TUC an Together, we addressed issues of interest and relevance to our members and answered some burning questions.

 

Not an Advance Union rep? Take a look at becoming one for your workplace.

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So what goes off at conference?

Accord union are the trade union for Lloyds banking group and TSB Bank. Here are highlights from their conference in 2018 that show the nature and importance of conference to unions.

 

 

So what sort of specific motions should we think about

The union are open to any motion that will help improve our endeavours, but we recognise it helps to look at the types of motions offered elesewhere

This could be anything about anything linked to the sucess of the union proposition both internally (like additional benefits we should provide, how we fund ourselves, our values etc) or external, how we operate with other unions or probably more importantly matters our members want us to lobby Santander on.

 

 

Accord Union Motions for Conference 2024

Th event takes place from Monday, June 9th, 2025 at 9am  to Wednesday, June 11th, 2025 around lunchtime at the Marriott Victoria & Albert Hotel, Spinningfields, Manchester.

The conference promises to be a valuable opportunity for representatives to connect informally, discuss important issues, and shape the future of our union. We encourage you to attend and participate in the various events and discussions planned.

 

 

Conference Overview:

 

Sunday, June 8th: Elected Representatives arrive.

Monday, June 9th:This day will be dedicated to debating motions aimed at creating union policies on key matters our members have identified  for the union to have a policy for or for  AU to lobby Santander to help improve their working lives.

Tuesday, June 10th:This day will feature updates and presentations from key speakers to enable representatives  to better support their members.

Wednesday, June 11th:We will have some internal updates and a chance to create our plans for 2025 and beyond.

 

 

 

 

More About Accords conference 2024

So how do I write a Motion and submit it

Motions give delegates the opportunity to help shape Advance Unions agenda going forward. 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 via Area committee’s by the deadline given by the union. They’ll then be considered by the Motions review committee.

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 NEC 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 NEC.

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
Advance Conference policy