Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Local Government PAY 2009 – FINAL OFFER

The Employers’ Side met yesterday and agreed to increase their offer to a final offer in settlement of our 2009 pay claim as follows:
· Pay

From 1 April 2009 an increase of 1.25% on SCPs 4 to 10 inclusive
From 1 April 2009 an increase of 1.00% on SCPs 11 to 49 inclusive

· Annual Leave

From 1 April 2009, an increase from 20 to 21 days in minimum annual leave for employees with less than five years’ service.

By 1 December 2009, the NJC will produce joint guidance on best practice in handling redundancies.

So the latest offer has gone up from 0.5% to 1.25% for low paid and 1% for the rest. This would be back dated to April this year. Also an extra days days leave for workers with less service and an agreed union/employer guide on good practice over redundancies.

The joint unions will meet on Monday 27 July to consider a response.

In a press release UNISON Head of Local Government Heather Wakefield says:-

"We are pleased that the local government employers have come forward with an improved pay offer. While we believe that our members are worth more, we are pleased that the employers have realised that 0.5% was an insult. It is also vital that we have an agreement in place to protect jobs in the sector. This will help keep services running through the recession - when families and communities need them most. "UNISON's national committee and the NJC trade union side will meet next week to start the consultation on the offer."
*Scale points 4-10 earn between £11,961 - £13,336 (scale points 0-3 no longer exist)
**Scale points 11-49 earn between £14,197 - £41,083

I think it is fair to say "well done" to the Joint Union negotiators for helping to bring a positive offer to the table in these difficult times and also getting a fairly significant increase on the previous offer. I can imagine the Daily Hate headlines tomorrow morning. But maybe we can get more?

My employer is so far still holding out on a 0% increase for non-NJC Staff (i.e staff not on local government rates – usually directly employed staff who do not have TUPE protection). With us there is any appeal process in hand and this offer should help us argue against the 0% non-offer. I am just back tonight from a Housing Association Branch Executive meeting where I heard that one employer proposed a 5% cut in wages. This was beaten back and in fact many employers have increased wages for this year by more than 1%.

I think that those in local government UNISON leadership roles should wait until they can properly consult their ordinary members on this final NJC offer. Before passing instant judgement and slobbering over the thought of leading their members (who they obviously consider too thick to think for themselves) into the valhalla of glorious strike action.

5 comments:

Charlie Marks said...

"I think that those in local government UNISON leadership roles should wait until they can properly consult their ordinary members on this final NJC offer. Before passing instant judgement and slobbering over the thought of leading their members (who they obviously consider too thick to think for themselves) into the valhalla of glorious strike action."

I often marvel at your pronouncements John. We all know that strike action is always a last resort after exhausting every other avenue, and we all know that it's not something we'd want to do in the middle of a recession - but this isn't something that needs to be conveyed to employers, is it?

John Gray said...

Hi Charlie – fair points but remember many of the ultra extremists do not share your sound views on strike action being “of the last resort” - my remarks were actually directed to an over excited Unison member who should know better (he’s a fellow old git) whose immediate response to the offer was to beg for strike action since of course this will recruit him more members, revolutionise the existing membership who without doubt will anoint him to be the chosen one, the vanguard leader to bring about the beloved revolution (and the rest). Yeah.

Now our employers know this to be an empty and bogus threat since it is by someone who chases strikes at all possible occasions yet can’t even get even a minority of his own members on the picket line. If certain branches were to really properly consult our PBI members and actually take into account their real life views rather than look upon them as sheep then our employers would respect us more and take more notice of any threat of action. IMO.

Charlie Marks said...

Ah but the words always ring in my ears "treat ignorance with ignorance" - or, at least, a comradely whisper in the ear. We must "patiently explain", as comrade Lenin tells us, but not while our employers could be listening...

John Gray said...

Hi Charlie
"Whisper"? You will need a blooming great big megaphone to try getting anything thru that set of thick ears!

Our employers do not take any notice of empty threats. Strikes for primary political purposes will not succeed. Only when we have organised, high density branches with an effective steward structure and a dispute that members actually support – will (and can) we win.

Anonymous said...

You surely aren't referring to that illustrious NEC member who at a closed session of the NEC admitted that strike action would be difficult to achieve,then promptly sought to commit his Branch activists and the world through his Blog to "recommend rejection...and support the very serious ,difficult and costly strike action which would be necessary to secure a better offer" . It is the age old ultra left approach isn't it ,you know, all you good workers are too confused and too thick to decide for yourselves,but I am telling you,this is the only way forward. Leadership of the Lemming colony more like !

Simon