Work Programme for 2021–2022
Adopted at the Annual General Meeting on 25 March 2021
General The local branch is the Norwegian Association of Researcher’s local organisation at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. The Board helps union representatives at enterprise and profit centre level, so that they can carry out their tasks in the best possible way in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Agreement. The union representatives help members to exercise their rights under the law and collective agreements. The Board’s work shall be in compliance with the Norwegian Association of Researchers’ Work Programme for the period 2019–2021, adopted at the Congress held on 16–17 October 2018; see https://www.forskerforbundet.no/var-politikk/arbeidsprogram/
The Board will endeavour to ensure that the Norwegian Association of Researchers’ wage policy (including that it must pay to take higher education and acquire high competence) is reflected to the greatest possible extent in the university’s local wage policy. The local branch will also make particular endeavours to ensure that the R&D level is increased, and that academic staff have both a right and an obligation to take part in R&D work, as set out in the Norwegian Association of Researchers’ Work Programme. For administrative staff, the local branch shall endeavour to improve opportunities for competence and career development. Influence and co-determination The Board of the local branch will make active endeavours to ensure that members can exercise the best possible co-determination at faculty, department and section level, and at the university as a whole. The Board will contribute to the optimal functioning of internal university bodies, in order to ensure genuine influence and co-determination for university staff. The Board will endeavour to increase the number of co-determination arenas at the university. The Board of the local branch will endeavour to ensure that the university practises full transparency in all matters, so that its members enjoy genuine influence and co-determination. The employee representatives in the entities promote co-determination in accordance with the Basic Agreement through the information and consultation committees at the four faculties and in the university’s administration. The chief union representative promotes co-determination in accordance with the Basic Agreement through the information, consultation and negotiating committee at enterprise level. Other members of the Norwegian Association of Researchers promote co-determination in councils and committees, such as the appointments committee, the appointments council and the equality committee. The Board will endeavour to ensure that the members can exercise formal and genuine influence and co-determination. The Board will make sure that applicable laws and agreements are complied with and that the members’ working conditions are safeguarded. Working conditions The Norwegian Association of Researchers will endeavour to ensure that the physical working conditions in buildings are in accordance with HSE regulations. This means that teaching technology, the indoor climate and public rooms must be in accordance with HSE regulations. It also means that we must focus on retaining quiet rooms and social zones for members who work in open-plan offices of various kinds. The Norwegian Association of Researchers will endeavour to ensure that its members are given training in the use of digital aids that have become essential in the work context since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the day-to-day work situation. The Norwegian Association of Researchers will also endeavour to ensure that its members are given training in creating digital teaching
content. The Norwegian Association of Researchers will endeavour to ensure that existing benefits are retained in the new personnel handbook. Travel time between campuses shall be compensated based on the actual travel time. The Norwegian Association of Researchers will endeavour to ensure that as many cellular offices as possible are established and that activity-based workplaces are avoided. Wage policy On 20 April 2017, the Norwegian Association of Researchers’ Executive Board adopted a wage policy strategy for the period 2017–2019; see https://www.forskerforbundet.no/var-politikk/lonnspolitikk/lonnspolitisk-strategi/. The Board will make purposeful efforts to achieve better wage growth for its members and wage equalisation across the local regions. In the local context, based on the university’s wage policy guidelines, we will make use of the means available to us. The Board will endeavour to ensure that technical and administrative staff’s job codes reflect their competence, and the content and responsibilities of their jobs. It will be important to reward extraordinary efforts on the part of technical, administrative and scientific staff members.
The local branch will support increased use of central negotiations. Information The Board will prioritise providing members with good information by: · making active use of the local branch’s website http://www.ff-hvl.no/, among other things by posting minutes of board meetings of the local branch
· holding branch meetings, seminars etc.
· sending emails when expedient
· disseminating news and relevant information via the sub-branch boards and relevant working groups
· being as available as possible to members who want to make contact.
Branch meetings/seminars Branch meetings will discuss relevant issues and give members an opportunity to give feedback and input to the Board. Branch meetings can be held locally on the university's premises or elsewhere,
The Board also believes that it is important to be able to hold branch meetings at short notice on new issues that arise on the university or the Norwegian Association of Researchers’ agenda. The Board will endeavour to ensure that the tradition of holding a ‘spring seminar’ is continued.
In this context, we are dependent on full or part-financing from organisational development (OU) funds. Training/courses The association needs to recruit new union representatives. The Board will make active endeavours to ensure that members sign up for the Norwegian Association of Researchers’ training courses. The Board will ensure that participants in these courses are given the necessary time off work, cf. the Basic Agreement Clause 34. The Norwegian Association of Researchers offers a number of special courses that are relevant for board members and local union representatives. There are also some courses that may be relevant for members who do not hold office. The Board will pass on information about such courses to the members. Recruitment
Union representatives in the different regions must actively contact members of staff, especially new members of staff, with a view to membership of the Norwegian Association of Researchers. New members will be given a suitable gift when they join. Union representatives in the different regions must also inform retired staff members about membership of the Norwegian Association of Researchers for pensioners. Pensioners have access to favourable insurance policies. Pensioners have observer status at the AGM and are invited to attend the AGM dinner. The average age of members is still high, and a relatively large proportion of members will retire in the next few years. The recruitment of new members must always be given strong focus.
Statutes for the Norwegian Association of Researchers’ branch at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Adopted at the annual general meeting on 13 March 2018 – approved by the Select Committee/Executive Board on 30 January 2019, with amendments adopted by the Annual General Meeting on 30 April 2020.
1. AFFILIATION AND STATUS
The Norwegian Association of Researchers (NAR) at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) is the Norwegian Association of Researchers’ local branch at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. The Articles of Association of the Norwegian Association of Researchers apply to the local branch, and these local statutes supplement them.
2. OBJECT
The local branch looks after its members’ financial and professional interests and their working conditions at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and it helps members with issues relating to the law and collective agreements. The local branch at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences acts on behalf of the Norwegian Association of Researchers in relation to Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in accordance with the law and collective agreements.
3. MEMBERS
A member of the Norwegian Association of Researchers who is employed by Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is a member of the local branch at the university.
4. GOVERNING BODIES The governing bodies of the Norwegian Association of Researchers at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences are:
- The annual general meetings of the local branch and sub-branches
- The Board of the local branch
- The boards of sub-branches
5. THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the supreme body of the local branch. All members of the local branch are entitled to attend, address and vote at the AGM. The Board of the local branch convenes the meeting and distributes the agenda/case documents and proposals submitted for consideration at the AGM at least two weeks before the meeting is held. Proposals submitted for consideration at the AGM must be received by the Board no later than four weeks before the meeting.
The AGM is held by the end of March. An extraordinary AGM is held when the Board of the local branch finds this necessary or when at least one-third of the members so wish.
The AGM elects the chair and deputy chair(s). The five sub-branch representatives are elected using a list-based proportional representation system.
The AGM approves the year-end financial statements, budget, annual report and, if applicable, work programme. The AGM considers and states an opinion on matters submitted by the Board of the local branch or by individual members.
The AGM elects a Nomination Committee comprising four members. They are elected for a term of two years. The Nomination Committee’s proposal is distributed to the members no later than one week before the AGM. The Nomination Committee presents its proposal at the AGM. The election is held at the AGM.
6. THE BOARD OF THE LOCAL BRANCH
The Board of the local branch consists of nine members, with personal deputies for the three deputy chairs and the five chairs of the sub-branches:
- the chair
- three deputy chairs from each local region
- the five sub-branch chairs who are the sub-branches’ representatives on the Board of the local branch
The chair of the Norwegian Association of Researchers at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences represents the members at the enterprise level in accordance with collective agreements. The deputy chairs act as deputies for the chair.
The members of the Board of the local branch are elected for a term of two years. The composition of the Board of the local branch, including personal deputies for the deputy chairs and the five chairs of the sub-branches, shall as far as possible ensure broad representation across campuses, job categories and genders. New terms of office start from 1 August.
The Board of the local branch forms a quorum when at least half of its members are present. In the event of parity of votes, the chair has the casting vote.
The chair and the three deputy chairs are responsible for the following tasks being carried out:
- the day-to-day running of the local branch
- convening the AGM, board meetings and local branch meetings
- preparing a proposal for the budget, annual report and work programme for the local branch
- recruiting new members
- appointing representatives to offices, committees and councils at enterprise and faculty/administration level
- taking minutes from AGMs, board meetings and local branch meetings
- the branch’s website.
The Board of the local branch has a particular responsibility to contribute and allocate resources to campus-based measures and measures across sub-branches at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.
7. BOARDS OF SUB-BRANCHES
The local branch consists of sub-branches at the faculties and in the central administration, five sub-branches in all. The names of the sub-branches are abbreviated FLKI, FIN, FØS, FHS and FA. The sub-branches represent the Norwegian Association of Researchers in the individual faculties. All members, regardless of job category, are members of the sub-branch at the faculty where they are employed. At sub-branch level, the employee representatives are authorised to act on behalf of the Norwegian Association of Researchers in accordance with the law and collective agreements. The sub-branches look after the members’ interests at the faculty and help members in accordance with the law and collective agreements.
The AGM is the sub-branches’ supreme body. The Board of the sub-branch convenes the sub-branch’s AGM. It also distributes the agenda and case documents at least two weeks before the meeting. The AGM of the sub-branch is held no later than two weeks before the AGM of the local branch. An extraordinary general meeting is held if the Board of the sub-branch finds this necessary or when at least one-third of the members so wish. The AGM elects the Board of the sub-branch and a Nomination Committee, and considers the annual report and, if applicable, work programme. The Board of the sub-branch decides the division of responsibilities between its members. The members of the Board and the Nomination Committee are elected for a term of two years.
The chair of the sub-branch is normally the sub-branch’s representative on the Board of the local branch. The chair of a sub-branch cannot normally hold office as chair or deputy chair of the Board of the local branch. New terms of office start from 1 August.
The AGM considers and states an opinion on matters submitted by the Board of the sub-branch or by individual members. The AGM decides the procedure for elections. The Board of the sub-branch comprises at least three persons, one of whom is chair. The Board of the sub-branch is responsible for the day-to-day running of the sub-branch. Among other things, the Board of the sub-branch appoints representatives to offices, committees and councils, convenes the AGM, board meetings and sub-branch meetings, prepares an annual report and, if applicable, work programme, and recruits new members. Minutes must be taken of board meetings of the sub-branch.
The minutes shall be made known to the members of the sub-branch. The composition of the Board of the sub-branch shall as far as possible ensure reasonable representation across campuses, job categories and genders.
The Board of the sub-branch forms a quorum when at least half of its members are present. In the event of parity of votes, the chair has the casting vote.
The sub-branches do not have separate finances. Outlays for meetings, courses, catering etc. must be approved in advance by the Board of the local branch. The sub-branches may not incur financial obligations on behalf of the Norwegian Association of Researchers.
All resolutions addressed to the central authorities, civil service unions or employer or employee confederations above faculty level must go via the Board of the local branch. The Board of the local branch decides whether the resolution in question will be put forward.
The sub-branches may adopt their own statutes. They must be approved by the Board of the local branch.
8. EXCLUSION
Only the Executive Board of the Norwegian Association of Researchers may exclude members.
9. AMENDMENTS TO THE STATUTES
The AGM may make amendments to the local statutes at the proposal of the Board or individual members. Proposed amendments must be made known to the members no later than two weeks before the AGM. To be adopted, a proposed amendment requires a majority of two-thirds of the votes at the AGM.
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