About the event
Our first General Meeting, to approve a number of urgent changes to our Rules (legal governing document).
Notice: workers.coop - General Meeting
Date: Wednesday 6th September
Time: 5pm
Expected duration: 1-1.5 hours
Location: Zoom link
workers.coop is calling its first General Meeting (but not our AGM), where the Board will ask Members to approve a number of urgent changes to our Rules (legal governing document). The changes define and enfranchise Worker Members - including volunteer workers - and simplify the composition of the Board. We also ask Members to confirm that workers.coop is exempt from having to have a formal audit of the annual accounts.
Our first AGM is likely to take place in May 2024.
Until the Rules are changed and we have an on boarding process for Worker Members, only Co-op Enterprise members can vote on the resolutions. However we encourage workers and supporters to attend and give their views.
For reference, the complete Rules of workers.coop Limited are provided as an appendix to this notice, with the proposed Rule changes highlighted in yellow.
We will be using a 1 Member, 1 Vote method for these Special Resolutions, meaning they need the approval 75% of the voting Members to pass.
Co-op Enterprise Members must choose one representative to vote on their behalf but all are welcome to attend.
If your co-op is a Member but it’s unable to send a representative, you can appoint a Proxy to speak and vote on your behalf. The proxy need not be a Member. To appoint a proxy, the Member should provide a valid appointment, in writing, to workers.coop’s Secretary at least two Clear Days before the General Meeting.
Agenda
1. Welcome
2. Progress Update
3. Opportunities for general questions
4. Formal start of AGM, welcome by “Chair”
5. Confirmation of quorum
6. Appointment of Chair (Leigh Galletly, Greencity)
7. Special Resolution 1: Exemption from Audit
“It is resolved that subject to the provisions of section 84 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, the members of the Society shall not require an audit for the accounts covering the current financial year ending on 31/03/2024 when they are presented to the next AGM by hereby electing to disapply section 83 of the Act.”
8. Special Resolution 2: Amendment of rules
Rule 3: To amend the definition “Worker” to read as follows:
"Worker Member" means a natural person over the age of 16 providing their labour for to the Cooperative, whether as an employee, agency worker, contractor or volunteer, who has satisfied the conditions for membership, and continues to satisfy the conditions for membership, of the Cooperative in accordance with these Rules; and who has been admitted as a Member of the Cooperative.”
Rule 19: To amend the Rule to read as follows:
“In accordance with the Cooperative Principle of voluntary and open membership, whilst the Cooperative shall undertake to encourage its Workers to become Members, membership must be voluntary and as a result cannot be a condition of employment, service contract or volunteering agreement.”
Rule 87: To amend the Rule to read as follows:
“The Board of Directors shall be elected by and from the Cooperative’s Members. The number of elected Directors serving on the Board shall be seven, or as determined by a general meeting of the Cooperative from time to time.
Rule 88: To amend the Rule to read as follows:
Only candidates nominated by a Cooperative Enterprise Member may stand for elected Directorships.
9. Closing Remarks
There will be opportunity after the formal end of the AGM for general questions and discussions about the federations activities.
Process
- Platform: We will use Zoom
- Checking quorum: We ask reprsentatives to update their name to read "R: [name],[Co-op]"
- Voting: We intend to vote by show of hands, in which case we will ask observers to turn off their video for ease of counting. However, if it seems necessary we may vote using Zoom's poll or chat functions.