Discipline of Participants

20.(a) Any employer participant or employee participant who in the opinion of the National Board has behaved in any manner contrary to Rules 12 or 13, or prejudicial to the interests of the Scottish Joint Industry Board, shall be liable at the absolute discretion of the National Board to the following penalties:

(i) a censure;
(ii) the forfeiture of all or any of the welfare benefits accrued or other benefits which such participant would or might otherwise be or become entitled to receive from the Scottish Joint Industry Board;
(iii) the suspension of such participant for such period, not exceeding three months for each separate offence, from all or any of the rights and privileges of membership of the Scottish Joint Industry Board, including the right to receive all or any of the welfare or other benefits which such participant might otherwise become entitled to receive from the Scottish Joint Industry Board during such period;
(iv) the payment to the Scottish Joint Industry Board of a fine which shall not for any single offence exceed £5,000 in the case of an employer participant or £500 in the case of an employee participant;
(v) expulsion from membership of the Scottish Joint Industry Board.

(b) Any penalty imposed upon a participant pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Rule shall be imposed by means of a resolution passed at a meeting of the National Board, but so that the participant who has allegedly behaved in any such manner as is mentioned in that paragraph (a) shall be given not less than seven days notice in writing by the Secretary of the time and place of such meeting and of the general nature of such allegations, and shall be entitled to attend or be represented at such meeting and to be given an opportunity of being heard (either in person or by his representative) thereat, provided that the Chairman shall have power to impose immediate suspension on the participant pending the said meeting if he in his absolute discretion shall so decide.