COHSE Guilds Circa 1947

COHSE Rule 8.—COHSE GUILDS.

(i) Members of the Union shall be further classified into Guilds, to ensure that the professional and. special interests, which are not common to all members, are preserved and secured. Members shall, therefore, be classified into the following Guilds ;—

(a) Clerical and Administrative Guild.

(b) Guild of Nurses.

(c) Guild of Mental Nurses and Mental Deficiency Nurses.

(d) Medical Services Guild.

(e) Ambulance Services Guild.

(f) General Health Service Employees'Guild.

(g) Voluntary Hospitals Guild, pending the introduction of some scheme of complete unification as envisaged by the Government's proposals.

(ii) Each Regional Council, when established, shall consider the development of the Guild system, and in such cases as the membership demand, permission shall be given for any of the Guilds within the Region to establish a small representative Committee of the members of the Guild to advise the Regional Council or its Executive Committee on any matter peculiar to the particular Guild. Such Committees may submit resolutions to the Regional Council or Regional Executive Committee for consideration. It must be clearly defined that vital questions of policy affecting the Union as a National entity are not to be considered by these Committees, but by the established Branches and Regional Councils.

(iii) Separate Guild Branches are not to be established. The whole of the membership in any Hospital, Institution, or Department is to be contained in the one established Branch. It shall be. the duty of the established Branch to appoint, as far as practicable, Sectional or Guild Collectors, and to ensure that on the Branch Executive Committee direct representation of the section is afforded, based on membership.

(iv). The rational Executive Committee shall be empowered to receive a deputation from any of the established Guilds on matters solely related to the professional or special interests of the particular Guild.

(v) The National Executive Committee shall be empowered, in such particular Guild as it feels necessary", to establish a small National Advisory Committee of such Guild, consisting of representatives of the Regions for the purpose of acting as an advisory Committee to the National Executive Committee or, for any particular Guild on any specific issue arising, to call a representative conference of regional representatives of the particular Guild concerned.