National Association Of Co-operative Officials

The National Association of Co-operative Officials is a professional management association and an affiliate of the TUC, representing management and professionals in the co-operative movement.

NACO has been assisting members for more than 80 years, representing on an individual basis providing professional advice and support, and through collective bargaining with the employer, negotiating on pay rates and terms and conditions of employment.

NACO has grown and developed to be a major and respected professional body representing in excess of 90% of managers in consumer co-operatives. We assist members with individual cases ranging from generalist legal advice to full representation at times of disciplinary hearings. Our full time officers deal with all representational requests.

NACO has sole bargaining rights for managers in the Retail Co-operative Movement including salary negotiations and collective bargaining on terms and conditions of employment. Over the years, the Association has had the opportunity to negotiate significant enhancements to contracts and these Co-operatives acknowledge the experience and expertise of NACO in these discussions.

WHAT CAN NACO DO FOR YOU?

• Negotiate the best terms and conditions of employment, maintained by collective bargaining between NACO and the Co-operative Societies.
• Provide access to a wide range of membership benefits, which are detailed in the Membership Benefits Booklet that can be obtained from the Registered Office in Hyde.
• A charitable fund which can provide financial assistance in times and cases of need.
• Advise on individual contracts of employment.
• Offer expert legal advice and free legal representation.
• Provide reliable and accurate information on all aspects of employment.
• Offer training seminars and career development opportunities.
• NACO publishes a quarterly magazine for members in the Co-operative group called Grapevine, which details discussions with the employer.
• NACO publishes a national newsletter called The Co-operative Official, which details developments in the Co-operative Movement, NACO and matters of interest to managers and professionals alike.

WHAT ARE OUR STRENGTHS?

• NACO has sole bargaining rights for management pay and terms and conditions of employment in the Co-operative Group.
• We are recognised as players of a respected role across the Co-operative Movement and in particular the Co-operative Group.
• Across consumer co-operatives more than 90% of managers (your colleagues and people like you) are members of NACO.
• NACO is a professional management association as well as an effective trade union.

THE OBJECTS OF NACO

• To regulate relations between members and the Co-operative Societies.
• To obtain such rates of wages and conditions of employment as are commensurate with the responsibilities of the respective positions of its members.
• To provide for its members such legal aid as in the circumstances of the case the General Council of the Association may determine.
• To maintain and improve the status and efficiency of Management, including Secretarial practice and accounting.
• To seek the representation of the Association on any bodies or committees which are in any way concerned, directly or indirectly, with the professional status or functions or efficiency of members.
• Generally to protect and promote the professional interests of members.

MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

• Membership of NACO is open to persons who occupy a recognised official, managerial, administrative, professional or technical position in the Co-operative Movement.
• Membership is open to persons in Role Bands one to five inclusive, as described in recent publications by the Co-operative Group.
• Subscriptions are payable either by direct debit or by deduction from salary.
• Membership for 2010 is £4.05 per week (part time rate of £2.70 per week).
• An application form is available on this site, please print it off and return to the Registered Office in Hyde once completed.

NACO STRUCTURES

Annual General Meeting

The Association’s Principal Executive Committee is the Annual General Meeting of member’s, that takes place in May of each year. The AGM is the body that develops the strategy, policy and governing rules for the Association to act upon in-between each AGM.

Each Constituent Association of NACO is entitled to send two delegates to the AGM. Those Constituent Associations with more than fifty members shall be entitled to appoint one additional delegate for each additional fifty members or part thereof up to a maximum of five delegates. Each delegate shall have a vote in the proceedings of the AGM.

Constituent Associations

A Constituent Association is created when at least ten members of NACO organised by geographical location of their employment or their employment function, apply to the General Council for establishment. NACO has Constituent Associations representing members in relation to specific Societies and/or regions (the Co-operative Group Manchester Association, Midlands Association, etc) and relating to specific employment functions (HR Forum, Funeral Service Managers, etc).

From the members of the Constituent Association, nominations are sought to create a committee which, on matters of a purely domestic character, shall have full discretionary powers that shall conform to the rules of NACO. On matters of a national bearing, recommendations shall be subject to the confirmation of the General Council.

Constituent Associations meet as often as determined by local rules, but not normally more than four times per annum.

General Council

The Association is governed by the General Council in-between meetings of the AGM, and this body meets four times per annum to debate strategy and progress negotiations with the Societies. The General Council has full control of the business of the Association and has the power to apply the funds of the Association in pursuance of the objects. Every decision and order of the General Council shall be binding on the members and Constituent Associations, subject to appeal at the AGM.

Members of the General Council are elected for a two-year tenure and the committee consists of a maximum of eighteen members. The members are drawn from two classes of membership, ten from the “Co-operative Group (CWS) Class” and six from the “All Others Class”.

The Co-operative Group Council

In relation to negotiations with the Co-operative Group, the General Council authorises the Co-operative Group Council to deal directly with negotiations with the employer. This committee meets four times per annum and appoints a negotiating team from its number to prosecute claims with the employer.

The Co-operative Group Council is established from NACO members employed by the Co-operative Group nominated by the geographical Constituent Associations and the member’s therein on the basis of one seat for every two hundred members or part thereof. Members hold seats on the council for two years.

A full copy of the Rules of the National Association of Co-operative Officials are available by downloading here or alternatively a copy can be obtained by calling Registered Office on 0161 351 7900.

For further detail on NACO please contact the registered Office in Hyde.