Constitution

Central Head Quarters

D-4, Atul Grove Road

Behind Eastern Court
New Delhi 110 001
1 Name & Head Quarters

a) The Name of the Union shall be called in Tamil as Tholai Thodarbu Ooliyar
Munnetra Sangam and in English as “Telecommunication Employees
Progressive Union”.

b) The Head Quarters / Registered Office of the Union shall be at Sree Sivam
Apartments, old No: 5/4, New No: 36/4, Vellala Street, Kodambakkam, Chennai
600 024 and the Administrative Office of the Union shall be at Delhi.

2. Aims & Objects

1 To regulate the relations between the members and their employers

2 To render help to the members by constitutional methods
3 To secure to them fair conditions of life and work
4 To endeavor to redress their grievances
5 To provide relief to members against sickness, old age, unemployment
and death
6 To endeavor to settle disputes between the members and their
employers
7 To promote the civic and political interests of members
8 To co-operate and federate with organizations of workers’ having similar
objects
9 To render efficient service to the Nation, and to actively participate in
building a society which is conscious of Duty, Dignity and Discipline?

3 Membership

All Employees / Workers in the establishment of BSNL, MTNL, VSNL and any
other Telecom Installations owned by Government of India, Government
Undertaking, and, other Private Telecom Installation on Basic Services.

4 Honorary Members

Persons not actually engaged or employed in the Industry with which the Union is
connected may be admitted as honorary members of the Union for the purpose
of serving in the executive of the Union. The number of such honorary members
shall be less than half of the number of members in the Executive Committee of
the Union.

5 Subscription / Failure to Pay Subscription /Restoration of Membership

a) Every ordinary member shall pay the subscription to the Union fixed by
the Head Quarters from timer to time. Any member who fails to pay this
subscription for three consecutive months shall cease to be a member
and shall forfeit his claims to any benefit from the Union from the date of
his ceasing to be a member. The Executive Committee may, however,
restore the membership of such a person if he pays off his arrears of
subscription.

b) The Subscription so paid by the members will be collected by the Head

Quarters of the Union and apportioned between various levels of the
Union in a ratio fixed by the Central Executive Committee.
6 Benefit to Members

With reference to the financial position of the Union, the Executive Committee shall
decide from time to time the benefits to be given to the members. A member shall be
entitled to the benefits of the Union only if he has been a member for at least six months
and if he has paid his subscriptions to the union up to date.

7 Removal from Membership

Any Office Bearer or Member of the Union found working against the interest of the Union
may be removed from the Union or otherwise punished on a resolution to that effect
passed at the Executive Committee Meeting of the Union held for the purpose at which at
least 60% of those present vote in favour of the resolution, provided that the Member or
Office Bearer concerned is given adequate prior notice of the action proposed to be taken
against him.

8 Penalty on Member

If a Member goes on strike without the sanction of the Union, he shall not be entitled to
any benefit from the Union from the date on which he has so struck work. This is in
addition to any other penalty which may be imposed on him under the previous rule.

9 Strike / Notice there upon

No member of the union employed in an undertaking shall go on strike without having

given to his employer within six weeks before striking not less than 14 days previous
notice in writing of his intention to do so. No notice of strike shall be given by any member
of the Union to his employer unless in a ballot conducted for the purpose, two thirds of
the total number of members of the union employed in the undertaking has voted in
favour of a strike.

10 A Register of members, account books and other prescribed registers and books shall be
kept at the registered office of the Union and properly maintained by the office bearers
responsible. The registers and books shall be open to inspection by any office bearer or
member of the Union at the registered office on all working days during the hours of 1000
to 1700 when the registered office is open.

A Organisation
The Union shall be governed in the following manner

a Central Union
b State / Circle Union
c District Union
d Local / Unit Union

B Grant of Recognition

a State / Circle Union shall be recognized by Central Union

b District Union, Local/Unit Union shall be recognized by the State/Circle
Union with the approval of Central Union

C Disputes
 The Central Union shall resolve any Organisation / Election Disputes at any level.

11 Office Bearers / Term of Office

The affairs of the Union shall be conducted by the Executive Committee consisting of:

For CHQ
President One
Working President One
Vice Presidents Two
General Secretary One
Assistant General Secretaries Four
Treasurer One
Assistant Treasurer One
Organising Secretaries Four
The Central Executive Committee will comprise the above Office Bearers and all the
State/Circle Secretaries

For State / Circle Union

President One
Working President One
Vice Presidents Four
State/Circle or Secretary One
Assistant State/Circle Secretaries Four
Treasurer One
Assistant Treasurer One
Organising Secretary Four
The Circle Executive Committee will comprise the above office bearers and all the District
Secretaries of that circle Union’s jurisdiction.

For District Union

President One
Working President One
Vice Presidents Four
State/Circle or Secretary One
Assistant State/Circle Secretaries Four
Treasurer One
Assistant Treasurer One
Organising Secretary Four
The District Executive Committee shall comprise the above office bearers and all the
Local/Unit Secretaries of the District Union’s jurisdiction.

All the above office bearers shall be elected at the Annual General Body Meetings of the
respective level of the Union and shall hold office till the next election.

Interim vacancies in the Executive Committee shall be filled by the Executive Committee by co-
option and the co-opted members shall hold office till the next election by the General Body.

None of the Members of Executive Committee shall be below the age of 18 years.
12 Executive Committee Meeting

Meeting of the Executive Committee at all levels shall be held at least once in three
months.

Quorum:

The presence of one third of the number of members of the Executive Committee shall
be necessary to constitute a quorum for a meeting of the committee. Seven days notice
shall be given for a meeting of the Executive Committee. The notice shall specify the
subjects to be discussed.

Special Meeting

Special meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held whenever the President
considers it necessary. On receipt of a requisition from one third of the members of the
Executive Committee, the President shall convene a Special Meeting of the Committee
within 10 Days of the receipt of such requisition. If the President fails to convene the
meeting as per the requisition within the stipulated time, one member of the Executive
Committee or two ordinary members of the Union may be nominated in writing by the
signatories to the requisition can convene a special meeting of the Committee after
issuing 7 days prior notice with subject to be discussed, with the Vice President or in his
absence the Secretary or in the absence of both of them an Executive Committee
Member acting as the Chairman of that meeting. The presence of one third of the number
of members of Executive Committee shall be necessary to constitute quorum for such
meeting.

Duties of Office Bearers

13 President The President of respective level shall preside over all meetings of the
Union and of the Executive Committee, preserve order and sign all
minutes of their accredited level. He shall have the power to convene
special meetings of the Union and of the Executive Committee whenever
he considers it necessary at his accredited level.

14 Working The Working President / Vice Presidents shall assist the President and
President shall act for him in his absence.

15 When the President and the Working President / Vice Presidents, are not
present, the meeting shall elect a Chairman from among the members
present. The Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote only in
the case of equality of votes on any question.

16 General The General Secretary shall exercise general supervision and control
Secretary over the affairs of the Union. He shall

a Conducting all correspondence on behalf of the Union

b Recording the minutes of the meetings of the Committee and the
Annual General Body.
 c Maintaining the register of members and other books and registers (other
than account books and account registers) prescribed by or under the
Trade Union Act.
d Convening in consultation with the President, ordinary meetings of the
Union and of the Executive Committee and issuing notices and agenda
thereof, and
e submitting the statements and other documents required to be submitted
by or under the Trade Union Act

The Office of the General Secretary shall not be combined with that of any other office
except that of the President. When the office is so combined, the person so elected to the
office shall be designated as President and General Secretary and not merely President.

17 Assistant General Secretaries The Assistant General Secretaries shall assist the
General Secretary in his work and act for him in his absence. Noting in this rule, however,
shall be deemed to confer on any other person the power and right to exercise the
powers of the General Secretary so long as the General Secretary is himself is able to
perform that.

18 Treasurer The Treasurer shall maintain the accounts of the Union collect amounts
due, issue receipts thereof and make payments of proper vouchers.

19 Assistant Treasurer Shall assist the treasurer in his work and act for him in his
absence.

20 Organising Secretaries Shall organize members for induction and enquire organizational
/ election disputes at any level that has been assigned to him by the General Secretary
and submit his enquiry report to the General Secretary for further action.

The Duties of the Office Bearers of State/Circle Union, District Union shall be the same
as that of shown in clause 13 to 20 restricted to their level of jurisdiction (i.e. within the
state/circle jurisdiction for State/Circle Union and within the District jurisdiction for District
Union)

21 Annual General Body Meetings & Business of Transaction

Annual General Body meeting of the Union, at all levels, shall be held Once in Two
Years, preferably in the month of January to transact the following:

a to adopt the report of the activities of the Union and to approve the Audited
Statements of Accounts of previous year and the report of the auditor thereon
b to elect Office bearers of the Union for the current term
c to transact such other business as may be brought forward after notice in the
prescribed manner

22 Special Meetings

The President may call for a special meeting of the Union whenever he thinks it
necessary and shall do so on a requisition signed by one tenth of the total number of
members of the Union. Such meetings shall be held within twenty days of the receipt of
the requisition. If the President fails to convene the meeting on receipt of the requisition in
the said manner, one member of the Executive Committee or two ordinary members of
the Union who may be authorized in writing by the signatories to the requisition can
convene the meeting. At least 15 days notice shall be given to the members for such
meeting of the Union. The notice shall specify the subjects to be discussed. Seven Days
 notice shall be given to the members of the union on any subject to be taken up at the
meeting if that subject has not been mentioned in the notice of the meeting itself. The
presence of at least one third of the total number of members of the union shall be
necessary to constitute a quorum at a meeting of the members of the union.

23 Application of Funds

Subscriptions from members and donations shall form the General Funds of the Union.
The General funds of the union shall be spent only on such of those objects of the Union
as are consistent with section 15 of the Trade Unions Act reproduced below:

a the payments of salaries, allowances and expenses to Office Bearers of the

Trade Union
b the payment of expenses for the administration of the Trade Union including
audit of the accounts of the General Funds of the Trade Union
c the prosecution or defense of any legal proceedings at which the Trade Union or
any member thereof is a party when such prosecution or defense is undertaken
for the purpose of securing or protecting any rights arising out of the relations of
any member with his / her employer or with a person whom the member employs
d to conduct of trade disputes on behalf of the Trade Union or any member thereof
e to compensation of members for loss arising out of trade disputes
f allowances to members or their dependants on account of death, old age,
sickness, accidents or unemployment of such members
g the issues of undertaking of liability under policies of assurances of the lives of
members, or under policies insuring members against sickness, accident or
unemployment
h the provisions of educational, social or religious benefits for members (including
the payment of the expenses of funeral or religious ceremonies for deceased
members) or for the dependants of the members
i the upkeep of a periodical published mainly for the purpose of discussing
question affecting employers or workmen as such
j the payment, in furtherance of any of the objects on which the general funds of
the Trade Union may be spent or contributions to any cause intended to benefit
workmen in general, provided that the expenditure in respect of such
contributions in any financial year shall not at any time during that year be in
excess of one fourth of the combined total of the gross income which has up to
that time accrued to the general funds of the Trade Union during the year and of
the balance at the credit of those funds at the commencement of that year and
k subject to any conditions contained in the notification, any other object notified by
the appropriate Government in the Official Gazette.

24 Imprest

A sum not exceeding Rs.500/- may be retained in the hands of the Treasurer for meeting
the running expense of the Union. All other receipts shall be invested in a Joint Account
and amounts shall be withdrawn from the Bank account only on the joint signature of the
Secretary and the Treasurer of the CHQ for State/Circle, District, Local/Unit levels of the
union for their respective levels.

25 Authority to Spend

The General Secretary may authorize Rs.300/-, urgent expenditure not exceeding
Rs.300/- between two meetings of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee
 may authorize urgent expenditure not exceeding Rs.1000/- between two meetings of the
General Body. All other expenditure requires the prior sanction of the General Body. The
funds of the Union shall be disbursed on vouchers signed by the General Secretary and
Treasurer.

26 The Executive Committee may constitute a separate fund for the promotion of the civic
and political interests of its members subject to the provisions of Section 16 of the Trade
Unions Act.
27 The accounts of the Union shall be audited once a year by an auditor possessing the
qualifications prescribed under the Trade Unions Act. The responsibility shall be upon the
Executive Committee to see that the accounts are so audited.

28 Dissolution of Union

The Union shall be dissolved if at least three fourth of the member of members at a
General Body meeting of the union record their votes in favour of the dissolution.

29 Amendment to Constitution

The rules of the Union may be amended, varied or rescinded provided that the votes of at
least one half of its members entitled to vote are recorded, and that at least sixty percent
of the votes recorded are in favour of the proposal.

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