Bectu NEC nominations open

Bectu Branches have been invited to nominate members for the union's National Executive Committee (NEC) and President for 2004-2006.
All paid-up Bectu members will be eligible to vote for the union's President if the election is contested.
NEC members to represent each of the union's six Divisions will be voted for by paid-up members in each respective Division where ballots are required. The number of NEC places is determined by the number of members in the Division.
Four candidates are to be elected from the BBC and London Production Divisions; three from the Arts and Entertainment Division; two each from the Independent Broadcasting and Regional Production Divisions; and one from the Laboratories Division.
In the last round of elections in 2002, only one woman out of sixteen NEC members was elected. Branches are being urged to redress this imbalance when they nominate this year, and also to encourage black and disabled candidates to stand.
Nominations close on March 1 2004. Where ballots are required they will open in the week commencing March 15 and close (under rule) on April 30 2004.
The results will be embargoed (again, under rule) until the close of Bectu's Annual Conference on May 8 2004.
Gerry Morrissey, one of Bectu's two Assistant General Secretaries (AGS), is subject to re-election this year, and the election of AGS will take place at the same time as the NEC elections.
If a ballot is required members will receive a separate ballot paper for this election. Branches can nominate candidates in the AGS election, again with the closing date of March 1 2004. Bectu's other AGS, Martin Spence, was elected in January of last year and is not due for re-election for five years.
All elections are being administered by the independent scrutineer, Electoral Reform Services Ltd. Members will receive ballot papers by post at their home address.
Nomination forms were for the elections were sent to Branch Secretaries at the beginning of January.
(GB)