5.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be held as soon as possible after the close of the financial year (31 March) and after the accounts have been audited, and not later than in June each year.
5.2 All members are entitled to attend the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meetings.
(i) Only voting members shall be entitled to vote at the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.
(ii) Voting members are those members paid up at least four weeks before a vote is taken at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.
5.3 Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by the Executive Committee or at the request of one-fifth of the total number of voting members of the Union.
5.4 The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be:
(i) To receive reports from the Executive Committee, to review the past work of the Union and to plan future policy;
(ii) To open and declare the results of a secret ballot conducted by the Union for the election of the Chairperson, Vice- Chairperson and members of the Executive Committee;
(iii) To elect an Appeals Tribunal which consists of three members;
(iv) To receive the audited accounts for the previous financial year and to consider the financial position of the Union;
(v) To consider any other business.
5.5 The Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be the only authority to make, alter, amend or rescind any of the rules of the Union. The Meeting shall act on the results of a secret ballot of the voting membership, as provided for in Rule 6.2 and 6.4.
5.6 On the instructions of the Executive Committee, the Honorary Secretary shall prepare an agenda of the Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting and shall make it known to members in such manner as the Executive Committee shall decide, provided no less than 21 days’ notice shall be given to all members for the calling of the Annual General Meeting.
5.7 Not less than four days’ notice shall be given to all members for the calling of an Extraordinary General Meeting and an agenda showing the business shall accompany the notice. Discussion at the Extraordinary General Meeting shall be limited to those matters contained in the agenda. Decisions reached at the Extraordinary General Meeting shall have the same validity as decisions reached by the Annual General Meeting provided that, where any change in the rules of the Union is contemplated, such change shall be specifically stated in the agenda of the meeting.
5.8 The quorum for all Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings shall be 15 voting members or 5 percent of the voting membership, whichever is the larger. With the exception of decisions made under Rule 6.2 which shall be taken by secret ballot, all decisions taken at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting will be valid if passed by a majority vote of all voting members present.
5.9 Should there not be sufficient voting members present to form a quorum within half an hour after the time fixed for the start of an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting, the Chairperson or Honorary Secretary shall declare such meeting to have lapsed and such meeting shall be adjourned to the same time and place 7 days later. A notice to this effect shall be sent to all members, and whatever number of voting members are present at that meeting shall constitute a quorum and business shall be conducted and decisions taken shall be binding on all members.