SINGLE STATUS (update 05/12/07)
PRESS RELEASE ON THE COMHAIRLE’S SINGLE
STATUS/JOB EVALUATION PROPOSALS
WESTERN ISLES LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRANCH UNISON
UNISON is urgently carrying out a series of consultations
with its members in Comhairle workplaces throughout the
Western Isles.
UNISON recognises the attempt by the Comhairle
to address the equal pay issue. Regrettably as a result
a large number of our members are going to suffer disastrous
downgradings of their salaries and wages if the current
proposals are put through. In addition to receiving substantial
cuts to their wages our members are also having seriously
damaging changes applied to their conditions of service,
car allowances, shift allowances, etc.
In UNISON’s view the outcome figures for employees
claimed by the Comhairle are highly misleading; the Comhairle
assert that the broad outcomes are 64% going up, 25% staying
the same and 11% going down (‘red-circled’).
UNISON has carried out an in-depth comprehensive analysis
of the results and we believe the true position is closer
to the following on implementation
• 25% going up
• 25% staying the same
• 50% going down
Many of our members are also being asked to work
much longer hours while suffering a significant loss of
annual income.
Once we have completed our consultations with
our members we will be seeking immediate meetings with
the Comhairle and Angus Macneil, MP and Alasdair Allan,
MSP to explain to them the true nature of the Comhairle’s
proposals and their catastrophic effects on our members
and their families throughout the islands and the implications
for the economy of the Western Isles.
We hope that the Comhairle will take the sensible
course of action and return to the negotiating table to
join with UNISON in producing a more reasonable and acceptable
set of proposals
ENDS
SINGLE STATUS LETTERS ISSUED
By now you should have received the Comhairle Single Status
information pack which details the proposed new grade
and salary for your post, a guide to the Single Status
Proposals (including Conditions of Service) and a Survey
Form.
We are asking all Unison members not to return the Survey
Form at this time.
We will give members a further update by the end of this
week.
There will be further meetings to follow in
Stornoway,Harris, Uist and Barra, details of meetings
in Uist & Barra this week below.
If you need any information please contact the UNISON
office on 01851 709304
SINGLE STATUS/ JOB EVALUATION MEETINGS - UIST AND BARRA
Wed 5TH December 2007
Council Offices, Balivanich 11:00am
Trianaid Taigh Ceilidh, Carinish 11:00am
Taigh a’Chridhe Uile Naomh, South Uist 2:30pm
Castlebay School, Barra 8:00pm
*************
Thu 6th December 2007 Lionacleit Education Centre 12 noon
SINGLE STATUS: UNISON ACHIEVES
MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH 
After lengthy
discussions and with your support the Branch has at long
last secured a significant breakthrough with our negotiations
with the Management on release of the Job Evaluation Data.
We are pleased to advise you that at a Meeting on 29 August
they handed over the data we requested
and at what was a very difficult meeting we wish to thank
the Comhairle Single Status Team for their willingness
to move their position on future negotiations on the day.We
have been pressing the Management over many months to
give us the information we require to analyse the data
and make the necessary assessment on whether the Pay and
Conditions Package is equality proofed and whether it
meets all the necessary standards. We are now proceeding
as a matter of urgency to carry out a professional analysis
of the data on your behalf.
The Timetable
Action Target
Date
| Report to Policy and Resources Committee |
6 September 2007 |
| If agreed, commence statutory 90 day consultation |
10 September 2007 |
| CnES to issue newsletter with implementation proposals |
W/C 10 September 2007 |
| Negotiation Period completed |
10 October 2007 |
| CnES issue letters giving results to employees |
W/C 29 October 2007 |
| UNISON Ballot of members completed |
18 November 2007 |
| Employees confirm support or rejection of Package |
18 November 2007 |
Proposed Changes to Conditions of Service
In our July Newsletter we gave
you a list of some of the proposed changes to your Conditions
of Service. Our next scheduled meeting with management
is on Monday 10 September and we are asking all members
to give us their comments on the proposed changes as soon
as possible. You can do this by email to alimaclennan@cne-siar.gov.uk or
submit your written comments to UNISON Secretary, c/o
Finance Dept, CnES, Sandwick Road, Stornoway, Isle of
Lewis, HS1 2BW no later than 14 September 2007
The proposed changes are listed below:
Working Conditions Implications of Proposed Change
| Working Week |
Former APT&C employees
to move to a 37 Hour working Week phased in over
a two year period, 36 hours on 1
April 2008 and 37 hours by 1
April 2009 |
| Core Hours
(7.00am to 10.00pm) |
All shift allowances, unsocial hours payments,
irregular hour and split duty payments will cease.
Enhanced Rates for evenings, Saturdays and Sundays
will cease |
| Overtime Rates |
Overtime above 37 hours will be time and a half, double time on Public
Holidays |
| Public Holidays |
Number of Public Holidays to be reduced to 10 by removing the May Long
Weekend |
| Annual Leave |
Consolidate two Public Holidays into annual Leave entitlement and increase
Annual Leave by a further two days to compensate
for move to 37 hours |
| Annual Leave Carry-Over |
5 days annual Leave may be carried over in to the next leave year with
no time limit for taking them |
| Mileage Allowance |
Car Leasing Scheme and Car Loan scheme to be discontinued. Inland Revenue
rate of 40p per mile will apply. A buy-out payment
of £822 equivalent to the annual lump sum will be
made to Essential Car Users |
| Standby Payment |
Social Work rate to be withdrawn. The lower rate of £76 will apply |
| Bonus |
All bonus payments to cease. The new hourly consolidated rate will apply |
It is essential that our discussions are informed by the views of each
of you as members of the Western Isles Branch so we urge
you to let us have your responses as soon as possible.
This is vital to the democratic processes of the Branch.
Ballot of Membership
Providing our National Scrutineers and the Branch
are satisfied that the Package is viable we will proceed
to conduct a ballot of all Members in Local Government
apart from Chief Officers and Craft Workers who are excluded
form the Single Status Agreement. This ballot will probably
take place at the beginning of November 2007.
Protection/Conservation
The Management have confirmed that for those whose proposed new grades
are lower than their current grades there will be conservation
for a period of three years from the date of implementation
although no annual pay increases will be made.
General Meeting
The Branch will be calling a
General Meeting on Thursday 20 September 2007 at 2pm in the Council Chambers(booking subject to confirmation)
to brief you on the proposed Pay and Conditions Package
and, if necessary, we will also arrange Workplace and
Departmental Meetings to explain the implications of the
Comhairle’s proposals to you. We also intend to hold Area
meetings in Uist and Barra – details to follow.
JOIN UNISON NOW!
As was always going to be the
case, there will inevitably be winners and losers arising
from the Single Status Exercise. The Branch however will
make every effort on your behalf to limit to the absolute
minimum those who will suffer detriment as a result of
the proposals. As part of the current negotiations we
will be agreeing with CnES an Appeals Procedure and no
doubt many of you will wish to appeal against your evaluation
results. UNISON will be happy to assist any of its members
who want to lodge appeals against their proposed new grading.
If you are reading this bulletin and are not a member
of UNISON we urge you to consider joining right away to
allow you to participate meaningfully in the democratic
process and to enable UNISON to help you with your appeal
if you are disappointed with your proposed new salary
or wage grading.
Application forms can be obtained
from your Section or Departmental Representative or from
Ali Maclennan, Branch Secretary (TEL: 01851 709235) or
Neil Henderson, Branch Organiser (TEL: 01851 709304)or
alternatively downloaded from http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/join.html
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