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6. EIS ORGANISATION AT NATIONAL LEVEL1. THE COUNCILThe Council of the EIS is the principal executive committee of the EIS. It meetsaround five times a year usually in Edinburgh and also at the AGM. It is the maindecision-making body of the EIS outwith the AGM. There are around 125 members ofthe Council elected directly by EIS members in local associations and also bymembers of the EIS self-governing associations, i.e. EIS University Lecturers’Association (ULA) and EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (FELA). Elections,where these are held, are by secret ballot.2. COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCILExecutive Committee Its main function is to ensure that the work of the Council isproperly carried out. Its other functions include the financial and administrativeaffairs of the EIS, staffing, the EIS Constitution, training of EIS members, and thepolitical trade union and international work of the EIS. It also has a role incoordinating EIS activities both nationally and locally.Education Committee The main role of the EIS Education Committee is thedevelopment of the educational policies of the EIS and the pursuit of these policiesin schools, colleges and universities. It also has a role in the determination ofteacher professionalism, in seeking to define quality in education and also inresponding to educational initiatives from the Scottish Government and other bodies.The Education Committee now has a CPD sub-committee to oversee the developingCPD work of the EIS.Employment Relations Committee The Employment Relations Committee of the EISdeals with employment matters, health and safety issues, legal affairs and also thebenevolent work of the EIS. The committee also has a role in supporting members onlegal, grievance and disciplinary matters and other casework related issues.Equality Committee The Equality Committee of the EIS promotes the equality ofopportunity of all teachers and lecturers in Scotland regardless of race, gender,sexuality and disability.Salaries Committee The role of the Salaries Committee is to seek to maintain andenhance the salaries and conditions of service of teachers in Scotland largelythrough the work of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). Onissues of pay and conditions of service it is the main negotiating committee of theEIS. It also deals with superannuation matters.3. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGThe AGM is the “sovereign body” of the EIS. It meets in June, the venue alternatingbetween Dundee and Perth. Around 350 delegates elected by local associations andthe self-governing associations, (i.e. EIS-ULA and EIS-FELA) attend the AGM. Localassociation representatives are elected, where necessary, by secret ballot. The 125members of the Council are automatically delegates at the AGM.The AGM discusses motions and approves the Council decisions for the previousyear.It is important for members in schools to be aware that delegates appointed fromlocal associations, or equally individual EIS Council members, speak asrepresentatives of their local associations and, therefore, on behalf of the15September 2012