The Miners' Federation of Great Britain

Terms of Settlement in the Districts

Northumberland

District Board For The Coal Mining Industry Of Northumberland.

Rules of Procedure for the Conduct of the Business of the District Board established between the Northumberland Coal Owners' Association and the Northumberland Mine Workers' Federation under the County Agreement, dated 15th January, 1927.

1. The title of the Board shall be "The District Board for the Coal Mining Industry of Northumberland."

2. The Board shall from time to time deal with all questions arising out of the County Agreement dated 15th January, 1927, not otherwise provided for and with any other question which may be referred to it by agreement between the parties.

3. The Board shall consist of not more than 20 persons chosen by the Northumberland Coal Owners' Association, and not more than 20 persons chosen by the Northumberland Mine Workers' Federation, herein referred to as the parties, with an Independent Chairman.

4. The Board shall annually elect from its own body a President and a Vice-President, one being from the persons chosen by the Northumberland Coal Owners' Association, and the other from the persons chosen by the Northumberland Mine Workers' Federation, who shall respectively hold office for one year and be eligible for re-election. The first President of the Board shall be elected from the persons chosen by the Northumberland Coal Owners' Association, and the first Vice-President from the persons chosen by the Northumberland Mine Workers' Federation. Unless the parties mutually agree to the contrary, the positions of President and Vice-President for subsequent years shall be filled alternately by the parties respectively.

A casual vacancy in the office of President or Vice-President shall, within one month, be filled up on the nomination of the side on which the vacancy occurs.

The President, or in his absence, the Vice-President, shall preside at all meetings at which the Independent Chairman is not present as herein provided. In the absence of both President and Vice-President a member of the Board shall be elected by the majority to preside at that meeting. The President or Vice-President or other person presiding shall be entitled to vote as a member of the Board, but shall not have any casting vote. When the Independent Chairman is present he shall preside.

5. The Board shall forthwith appoint an Independent Chairman from outside its own body. If the parties fail to agree they shall invite the County Court Judge of the Newcastle Circuit to make the appointment. The Judge, in making such appointment shall not appoint any person who is a holder of ordinary or preference shares in any colliery company in the United Kingdom.

6. If a vacancy should arise in the office of Independent Chairman such vacancy shall be filled up within one month of its occurrence.

7. The annual meeting of the Board shall be held in December each year.

8. The first President, Vice-President, and Independent Chairman shall each hold office until the annual meeting in 1927, and the election or re-election of President, Vice-President and Independent Chairman shall take place at the annual meeting in each year during the continuance of the Board.

9. The parties shall each elect a Secretary to represent them in the transaction of the business of the Board, and each party shall give written notice thereof to the Secretary of the other party, and both Secretaries shall remain in office until they resign or be withdrawn by the parties electing them. The Secretaries shall attend all meetings of the Board, and be entitled to take part in the discussions, but they shall have no power to move or second any resolution, unless either Secretary be also one of the representatives. in which ease he shall in that capacity have all the rights and privileges of a member.

10. Meetings of the Board shall be held in Newcastle-on-Tyne, or at such other place, and at such times as may be decided by the Board.

The President shall, on the requisition of either party, call a meeting of the Board. Such requisition must state the object of the meeting and be signed on behalf of the party making the requisition, and be sent to the Secretaries.

On receipt of the requisition, the Secretaries shall convene a meeting of the Board to be held within 14 days from the receipt of such requisition.

11. The Secretaries shall conjointly convene all meetings of the Board of which not less than four days' notice shall be given unless shorter notice is unavoidably necessary, such notice specifying the business to be considered. Proper minutes of the Board and the proceedings thereof shall be taken and transcribed in duplicate books, and each book shall be signed by the person who shall preside at the meeting at which such minutes are read and confirmed. One copy of such minutes shall be kept by each of the Secretaries. The Secretaries shall also conduct the correspondence for the respective parties and conjointly for the Board.

12. Questions to be dealt with by the Board shall in the first instance be submitted to and considered by the Board without the Independent Chairman. If the parties on the Board cannot agree upon questions arising out of the County Agreement of 15th January. 1927, or upon other matters referred to the Board under Rule 2 hereof, the meeting shall be adjourned for a period not exceeding 21 days, and the Independent Chairman shall be summoned by the Secretaries to the adjourned meeting, when the matter shall be again discussed, and in default of an agreement the Independent Chairman shall give such decision as he shall think fit, which decision shall be final and binding upon the parties and their constituents.

13. Voting at meetings of the Board shall be by sides.

14. Each party shall pay and defray the expenses of its own representatives and Secretary, but the costs and expenses of the Independent Chairman, stationery, books, printing, and hire of rooms for meetings, if any, shall be borne by the respective parties in equal shares.

15. The Board shall have power to appoint sub-committees, and may delegate to them any of the powers and duties possessed by the Board. Such sub-committees shall report to the next meeting of the Board or as soon thereafter as possible.

16. No alteration or addition to these rules shall be made except at a meeting of the Board, and unless notice in writing of the proposed alteration be given to the Secretaries at least one calendar month before such meeting. The notice convening the meeting shall state fully the nature of any alteration that may be proposed.

15th January, 1927.

Newcastle-on-Tyne,