Καταστατικό Σ.Ε.Τ.Υ.Ε.Κ.

NAME

  1. The name of the Association shall be CYPRUS EVENT TECHNICAL SUPPORT BUSINESSES ASSOCIATION (SETYEK) and hereinafter will be referred to as the “Association”.

HEADQUARTERS

  1. The headquarters of the Association shall be at 4 Employers and Industrialists Federation Street, 2000 Nicosia, where all meetings for the Association’s operations will take place and all notifications and announcements will be addressed.

PURPOSES

  1. The purposes of the Association shall be:
    (a) Regulation of relations and disputes between members, employers, and employees.
    (b) Organization of the Association’s members for coordinating their actions and taking collective measures to promote and safeguard their professional and financial interests.
    (c) Advocacy and promotion of the interests of the Association’s members to the Government, Semi-governmental or other Organizations as well as local authorities.
    (d) Development, promotion, and improvement of the members’ professional level, strengthening of relationships and the spirit of solidarity and close cooperation among them to eliminate unfair competition and friction between members, protection of common interests, mutual assistance and support, and representation of the Association as a unified organization.
    (e) Collection and provision of information to members.
    (f) Provision to members of consulting, legal, or other services deemed useful by the Board of Directors for promoting the members’ interests.
    (g) Cooperation or participation, whether financially or not, directly or indirectly, in the operations or objectives of any lawful Association or Employers’ Federation aiming to promote business interests.
    (h) Promotion of the professional interests of the members and improvement of their working conditions.
    (i) Protection of the members’ legal interests in any other way.
    (j) Creation of a Fund for the operation of the Association and the achievement of its purposes.
    (k) Registration of all companies operating in Cyprus in the field of event organization and technical support.
    (l) Upgrading of member businesses through continuous training and education of staff in new technologies, methods, and legal requirements both locally and internationally.

MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION

  1. (a) Any company or organization operating in Cyprus in the organization and/or technical support of events may become a member by submitting an application to the Board of Directors. The Board shall evaluate the application as soon as possible and no later than two (2) months from the date of submission.

(b) Businesses may be registered as members of the Association provided they meet the criteria set below by the “Association,” which include activities in audiovisual coverage of events and operations in equipment rental and service provision for artistic events (music, theater, dance, visual arts), corporate events, conferences – interpretation systems, installations of stages, exhibitions, and mobile structures for events, etc., including provision of sound, image, lighting, and staging services and equipment.

(c) Additionally, members must meet the following criteria:

  • Be legal or natural persons.
  • Have their primary field of activity in the provision of services and equipment as described above.
  • Be registered for VAT.
  • Have fully met their obligations to the Republic of Cyprus (Social Insurance, VAT, Tax Department, any other taxes and fees) or have arranged settlement of outstanding obligations.
  • Hold Employer’s Liability Insurance (if they employ permanent staff).
  • Hold Public Liability Insurance.

MEMBERS’ OBLIGATIONS AND RIGHTS

  1. Each member of the Association is obliged to pay their subscription regularly and fulfill all financial obligations to the Association.
  1. Each member must comply with the provisions of the Statutes and regulations of the Association and support the decisions of the Board of Directors.
  1. No member shall offer work, without the consent of the Board of Directors, to any person who is on strike against another member or is not working due to a declared “lock-out.”
  1. No member shall declare a “lock-out” without prior approval from the Association’s Board of Directors.
  1. All members are jointly liable for the debts and obligations of the Association.
  1. Any member demonstrating behavior contrary to the provisions of the Statutes and/or any regulation of the Association is subject to disciplinary action based on the Disciplinary Regulation of the Association.
  1. Any member of the Association who feels wronged by any decision of the Board of Directors may appeal to an Extraordinary General Assembly, where the decision will be final and binding. This General Assembly will be convened by the Secretary only if the appellant’s request is supported by signatures of 2/3 of the voting members of the Association who had voting rights on the date of signing.
  1. (a) Any member of the Association may submit a written complaint to the Board of Directors regarding the management of the Association’s affairs and request an extraordinary General Assembly. The written request must be co-signed by two supporting members and clearly state the nature and grounds of the complaint against the Board.
    (b) The Secretary is obliged to call the requested Assembly within 15 days of receiving the request.
    (c) The Assembly will review the complaint and either absolve or investigate or dismiss the Board. In case of dismissal, the Council members will step down and the same Extraordinary General Assembly will proceed with electing a new Board of Directors.
  1. (a) Any member of the Association may submit a written complaint to the Board of Directors regarding non-compliance by another member or violation of rules and/or decisions of the Board.
         (b) The Board must convene an extraordinary meeting with the concerned parties within 7 days of receiving the complaint to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
  1. A member who delays subscription payments to the Association shall not have the right to vote or be elected to any office of the Association.
  1. Any member wishing to resign must submit their resignation in writing to the Board of Directors, without being exempted from their financial obligations prior to a relevant decision by the Committee.

RESOURCES, REGISTRATION FEE AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

  1. (a) The registration fee is set at €50. Founding members are exempt from paying the registration fee.

(b) The annual subscription for members is set at €300.

(c) If any member delays subscription payments for more than four months, they will be notified in writing by the Secretary to pay. If they fail to comply within one month, the Board may remove them. The Board may exempt any member from payment due to special circumstances.

(d) Extraordinary contributions, donations, and any other lawful income received by the Association.

 

PROPERTY AND EXPENSES

  1. (I) All immovable and movable property of the Association shall be registered in the name of the Association for the use and benefit of its members and shall be under the control of the Board of Directors.

(II) The property of the Association may be used for:

(a) Payment of salaries, allowances, and expenses of officers or salaried employees of the Association.

(b) Payment of management expenses, including audit costs.

(c) Legal action or defense in any legal proceedings involving the Association or any of its members, when such action or defense is for securing or protecting its rights or any rights arising from a member’s relationship with their employees.

(d) Conducting negotiations on professional disputes on behalf of the Association or its members.

(e) Purchase or rental of any building or land required for the Association’s purposes.

(f) Subscriptions or other contributions to any lawful Federation of two or more Associations or any body established to coordinate the actions of any Association or its branch as defined in their Statutes.

(g) Contributions to charitable, educational, or cultural institutions or organizations.

(h) Legal advice for securing or protecting its rights or a member’s relationships with their employees, or their or their dependents’ rights arising from civil actions or causes.

(i) Publishing, printing, distributing, or circulating any book, newspaper, magazine, bulletin, leaflet, or other printed literature for the promotion of its purposes as defined by the Trade Unions Law, for the promotion of members’ interests.

(j) Interest on loans and legal taxes.

(k) Any other lawful purpose provided for in this Statute.

(l) The Board may take out a loan up to a total of €5,000. For loans exceeding €5,000, approval by a regular or extraordinary General Assembly is required.

(m) The funds of the Association may be invested, upon decision of the Board under the President, in government securities or deposited in an approved bank.

(n) For financial matters, unless otherwise specifically provided in this Statute, the signatures of the President or Secretary together with the Treasurer shall bind the Association.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  1. The Association shall be governed by a Board of Directors elected by the members and consisting of 7 members. The Board shall include the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and one Councilor. Members of the Board must be over the age of 21, not hold any office in another Trade Union (except Federations), and be actively involved in organizing and/or supporting trade exhibitions.
  1. The members of the Board shall elect from among themselves, after their election, the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Association.
  1. The Board shall meet regularly once a month or exceptionally when convened by the Secretary or upon request by three members.
  1. The Board of Directors is responsible for:
    (a) Executing the decisions of the General Assemblies.
    (b) Promoting the purposes of the Association.
    (c) Enforcing the Statutes.
    (d) Proper management of arising issues and the finances of the Association.
    (e) Submitting to the Regular Assembly a report on activities, audited financial report, and a budget of income and expenses.
    (f) Filling any Board vacancies from the list of runners-up if available, or from other members of the Association.
  1. It shall manage and direct the general affairs of the Association and act for and on its behalf. Its main duty shall be the pursuit and achievement of the Association’s purposes.
  1. It shall supervise the general management of the Association, keep accounts, and periodically inspect the cash held by the Treasurer and officers of the Association.
  1. It shall ensure the enforcement of the Statutes and shall decide on any unclear point of the Statutes, but under no circumstances may it amend the existing Statutes of the Association.
  1. It shall declare the position of any Board member vacant if they resign or are absent without permission or justification for three consecutive meetings, one of which must be regular, and replace them with the first runner-up or, if none, with another member of the Association.
  1. It shall submit its resignation if four or more members resign or vacate their positions either simultaneously or over time, provided that before such resignation it shall call an extraordinary General Assembly to elect a new Board as per Article 41.
  1. The Board’s decisions shall be recorded by the Secretary in the Minutes Book and signed by the President and Secretary.
  1. A quorum for Board meetings shall exist if more than half of its members are present. If there is no quorum, the meeting shall be postponed to another date and time within 15 days as decided by the present members, and the Secretary shall immediately send new notices of the rescheduled meeting. At that time, the members present shall constitute a quorum. Decisions shall be taken by majority vote of members present at the meeting.
  2. Board meetings shall be presided over by the President or, in his absence, the Vice-President. The President or Vice-President, depending on the case, shall regulate the meeting’s proceedings and shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie.
GENERAL ASSEMBLIES

  1. One regular annual General Assembly shall be held during the first half of each year, on a date set by the Board of Directors, and other extraordinary General Assemblies may be convened by the Board or in writing by 2/3 of the voting members who have fulfilled their obligations to the Association. The President of the Association shall preside at these General Assemblies, or in his absence, the Vice President, and in their absence, the Secretary.
  1. The Board of Directors must provide written notice to the members at least 15 days before the convening of a regular General Assembly or 7 days before an extraordinary General Assembly, but failure by any member to receive such notice shall not invalidate any actions taken at any Assembly.
  1. Quorum at General Assemblies shall be constituted by the presence of more than 50% of members who have fulfilled their obligations to the Association, and decisions shall be made by majority vote, unless otherwise provided in the Constitution.
  1. If a quorum is not formed within half an hour of the scheduled time, the present members who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Association shall constitute a quorum.
  1. Matters concerning the election of the Board of Directors or representatives, name changes, mergers with other Associations, formation or joining of a Federation or Confederation, imposition of mandatory contributions, amendments to the Constitution, lock-outs, dissolution of the Association, and matters of a personal nature shall be decided by secret ballot. All other matters shall be decided by a show of hands unless at least seven (7) members request a secret ballot. In the case of a secret ballot, the Assembly shall appoint three members from among those present to collect the votes, supervise the vote, and count the ballots.
  1. In the event of a tie, the presiding officer shall have the casting vote.
  1. The responsibilities of the regular annual General Assembly shall include approval of the budget for the current financial year, submission and approval of the audited accounts for the previous financial year along with the auditors’ report and the annual report of the Board of Directors for the preceding year, submission of the inventory of the Association’s property, and any other matter related to the Association’s objectives on the agenda.

ELECTIONS

  1. The election of the Board of Directors shall take place every two years during the annual General Assembly, and if there are more candidates than allowed by Article 21 of the Constitution, by secret ballot as follows:
    (α) Nominations shall be submitted, and if there are more than seven candidates, elections shall be held to elect the Board of Directors. Three individuals shall be appointed to check and count the ballots.
    (β) Each present member entitled to vote shall receive a ballot paper bearing the Association’s stamp and the signature of the Secretary.
    (γ) The candidates who receive the highest number of votes shall constitute the Board of Directors. In the case of a tie, the election shall be decided by drawing lots.
    (δ) Each present member must vote for seven (7) individuals. If fewer or more individuals are selected, the ballot shall be considered invalid.

PRESIDENT

  1. The President shall preside over and regulate the proceedings of the General Assemblies and the Board of Directors’ meetings, and in the event of a tie, shall have the casting vote. He shall sign, along with the Secretary, the minutes of the General Assemblies and Board meetings.

VICE PRESIDENT

  1. The Vice President shall preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors and/or General Assemblies in the absence of the President.

SECRETARY

  1. The duties of the Secretary are as follows:
    (α) To maintain the Registry of Members.
    (β) To keep the minutes book of the Board of Directors’ meetings and General Assemblies of the Association, including records that fully and accurately reflect all decisions regarding the appointment of officials, collection, sourcing or payment of funds, disposal of assets, drafting of regulations, the names of nominated candidates, and the results of any election, which shall be signed by the Secretary and the President at the next meeting or General Assembly, as applicable.
    (γ) To handle the correspondence of the Association, affix stamps, and sign all documents and letters of the Association.
    (δ) To authorize the Treasurer to make payments based on receipts which shall be kept in a dedicated folder.
    (ε) To send to the Registrar of Trade Unions by February 15 of each year an audited statement of receipts, funds, assets, and expenses, clearly showing the assets and liabilities as of the previous December 31. The expenses must be properly categorized and include details as required by the Registrar.
    (ζ) To keep a Property Register of the Association.
    (η) To communicate the decisions of the Board and General Assemblies to all members and ensure their implementation, as well as promote the Association’s objectives.

TREASURER

  1. The duties of the Treasurer are as follows:
  • (α) To ensure the collection of registration fees and membership subscriptions, assisted by a collector who shall be accountable to the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall issue the following receipt on behalf of the Association, bearing the Association’s stamp and the Treasurer’s signature:

    No. …………………………
    Received from ……………………………………………………………………………………
    The amount of ………………………………………………………………………………….
    For …………………………………………………………………………………………………
    Date …………………………………………………………………………………….
    Signature of Treasurer or Collector ……………………………………………………………

  • (β) To maintain books and other accounting records that accurately reflect all income and expenditures on behalf of the Association or its members.
  • (γ) To make all payments approved by the Board and retain all related receipts in a special folder.
  • (δ) To be personally responsible for the Association’s funds in his possession or control.
  • (ε) To provide the Board, upon request, with the financial status of the Association, at the annual General Assembly, or whenever requested by the General Assembly. He must present a true and accurate account of all receipts and payments made by him, as well as the remaining funds or other assets entrusted to him since assuming office or the date of the last report, whichever is more recent.
  • (ζ) To deposit any amount exceeding €50 in the name of the Association at a bank approved by the Board.
  • (η) To immediately return any remaining balance owed to the Association and all receipts, books, and documents, as well as any other Association property in his possession or control, after submitting accounts as required under Article 43(5).
  • (θ) To be personally liable for the property of the Association and to generally comply with all legal provisions regarding his responsibilities.

AUDITORS

  1. The Board shall appoint an approved Accountant or Auditor each year to audit the accounts and books of the Association. The audited accounts shall be submitted by the Secretary to the Registrar of Trade Unions. The auditor shall have full freedom to inspect any books or documents of the Association and shall perform the audit strictly in accordance with this Constitution and the relevant Trade Union Laws.
REMOVAL OF OFFICERS AND EXPULSION OF MEMBERS

  1. (a) Any officer or other member may be removed or expelled from the Association by decision of the General Assembly if they do not comply with the Constitution or the decisions of the General Assembly or the Board of Directors.
    (b) All officers, before stepping down from their position, must return to the Board of Directors all Association property in their possession.
    (c) Members who are expelled from the Association will lose all rights to the Association’s property and other benefits.

INSPECTION OF BOOKS

  1. Any member or person with a legal interest in the Association’s funds may, upon request to the Secretary, inspect the books and accounts of the Association on any day during working hours.
  1. The Association shall maintain and safeguard a Register of Members, which any member may inspect from time to time after submitting a request to the Secretary, on the aforementioned days and hours.

AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

  1. (a) This Constitution may be amended, annulled, or replaced by decision of the General Assembly of the Association through secret ballot and by a majority of at least 2/3 of all votes of members entitled to vote in accordance with Article 7.
    (b) Matters of interpretation of this Constitution shall be decided by the Board of Directors, subject to appeal to the General Assembly of the Association.

BENEFITS

  1. The Association provides its members with:
    (a) Professional benefits such as professional dispute allowances, legal advice, and assistance whenever necessary in relation to their profession.
    (b) Legal advice and assistance provided by the Board of Directors to any member upon written request.
    (c) Welfare benefits such as sickness, accident, unemployment, bankruptcy, and old-age allowances, as well as medical care and medication, granted by the Board depending on the circumstances and the Association’s financial situation, upon written request.
    (d) Establishment of a standard for the sector to ensure all required Health and Safety legislation is followed by members.
    (e) A website listing all members’ details.
    (f) Funeral expenses and a family monetary grant due to a member’s death, provided to the member’s dependents upon decision of the Board of Directors.

DISSOLUTION

  1. (a) The Association shall be dissolved if its number of members falls below 20.
    (b) The Association may also be dissolved by decision of a General Assembly convened specifically for this purpose, by secret ballot and by a majority of at least 4/5 of the total number of members entitled to vote, provided that the number of dissenting members is fewer than 20.
    (c) In case of dissolution of the Association, its assets, after all financial obligations have been met, shall be transferred to the Federation of Employers and Industrialists.
    (d) Within 14 days from the dissolution, a Notice signed by the Treasurer and Secretary of the Association shall be sent to the Registrar of Trade Unions.

LABOUR AND OTHER DISPUTES

  1. In the event of any dispute or submission of demands to any member, the following procedure shall be followed:
    (a) The Association must be immediately notified and a copy of the demands must be sent to the Board of Directors.
    (b) Depending on the nature of the dispute or demands and based on the advice of the Board of Directors, the member shall either handle the issue independently or assign it to the Association.
    (c) If the Association is a member of the Federation of Employers and Industrialists, it shall seek advice from the latter on resolving any collective dispute.
    (d) No member shall declare a lock-out without the approval of the Board of Directors. In the event of a collective lock-out by all members, a decision must be taken by the General Assembly through secret ballot.

MISCELLANEOUS

  1. The Association shall have a seal bearing its name and may also have a related emblem.
  1. Each member of the Association shall be entitled to a free copy of this Constitution. Non-members may obtain a copy for a fee of €100.
  1. The Association may merge with any other Association, following a decision of the General Assembly in which 2/3 of voting members vote in favor of the merger through secret ballot. The merger must also be approved by the Registrar of Trade Unions.
  1. The financial year of the Association is defined as starting on January 1st and ending on December 31st of each year.
  1. If it serves the Association’s interests, it may pay salaries to employed secretaries or staff either on its own or in collaboration with other Associations in its city or across the island, provided it is approved by the Board of Directors.
  1. The Association has no branches.
  1. The Association was founded on June 3rd, 2020.