Ten tips

Tips for conducting yourself in trade union (and other workers' movement) meetings.

1. Wait your turn to speak.

2. Don't forget you are there to listen as well as talk.

3. Remember that a 'point of order' and 'point of view' are two different things.

4. If you have contributed to a discussion, it is courteous to remain in the room to hear others' contributions to the same discussion.

5. Remember that swearing may be OK, but it is not a measure of how militant you are.

6. Similarly, confidence is good, but it does not follow that the more confident you are, the more correct you are.

7. Remember that other people in the meeting may not be as confident as you are, and think about the impact that your contribution might have on their willingness to contribute.

8. If you put your hand up to make a point, then someone else makes the same point, you do not have to go ahead with your contribution and repeat the point.

9. When you slag off some campaign or strategy or decision, it is handy to mention what your alternative would be.

10. If other people stray from these guidelines, you may wish to object.

PS. I freely admit that these are tips to myself as well as to others!