The
Branch Executive Committee have met and approved a strategy of industrial
action to continue our efforts to oppose the Single Status offer.
Full details can be found on the Industrial Action page here.
Ballot
results
The
results of our ballot were communicated to our employers on Thursday
24th April. They were as follows:-
Ballot
Papers Issued - 1636 Returned - 717 (43.8%)
Question
Industrial Action in the form of action short of a strike?
Short
of Strike Action
Yes = 465 (65.2%)
No = 248 (34.8%)
Spoilt = 4
Question
Industrial Action in the form of strike action?
Strike
Action
Yes = 372 (52.3%)
No = 339 (47.7%)
Spoilt = 6
This means that
we have been given a mandate to take industrial action and the Branch
Executive Committee will be meeting over the next few days to decide
what form that action will take.
Industrial
action ballot
The
process of balloting our members over the issue of single status has
begun.
Members should start receiving papers from Wednesday 2nd April with
a three week turnaround.
The
ballot will take the form of two questions. The first will ask whether
or not you are prepared to take industrial action up to but not including
strike. The second will ask if you are prepared to take action up
to and including strike action.
The
branch executive strongly urges all members to vote YES to
both questions.
Letter
from the Chief Exec
All
single status employees will be receiving a letter from the chief
executive over the dext day or two offering the chance to reconsider
the vote they cast on the Council's Single Status offer.
We recommend that all UNISON members reject this attempt to overturn
the democratic process.
There is NO improvement to the terms and conditions on offer previously
when a ballot rejected the offer. Management must be hopeful that
their tactics, of suggesting that T&G members could get the offer
implemented for them on a different date, has scared members into
accepting the removal of many terms and conditions we enjoy at the
moment.
Please remember that you are not accepting back money but
the removal of shift allowances, lower over-time rates and flexible
annual leave which is only flexible if management allow it.
We
have issued a standard reply for UNISON members to use in reply to
our employer's request. This can be downloaded by clicking on the
link to "reply to employers letter" to the left. A newsletter
will be getting issued over the next day or two outlining our reactions
to this latest development.
Ballot
papers for Industrial Action will also be getting sent to you soon.
It appears that management are not willing to negotiate at all on
the "final offer" and that industrial action may be the
only way that they will listen to staff.
If
you wish any more information please attend one of the special meetings
detailed below.
Special
General Geetings
The
branch has organised two meetings in order to involve members in discussions
about the latest developments in the Single Status negotiations.
Details are as follows and we would encourage ALL members to attend
at least one meeting.
If you require creche facilities please contact Sharon at the UNISON
office before March 31st.
Wednesday
2nd April
Bearsden Burgh Hall
Drymen Rd
5.30pm
|
Thursday
3rd April
Kirkintilloch High School
Briar Rd
5.30pm |
Single
Status Newsletter
Enclosed
with the latest news-letter were standard letters which we have compiled
for members to fill in and send to the Council. There is a letter
to the Head of Human Resources, to protest against the unilateral
change to contracts which our employers have made when they introduced
the new Pay and Grading scheme, in our belief, without agreement.
There is also a letter to the Appeals Team which members wishing to
appeal their Job Evaluation Outcome should use to obtain the relevant
information needed to formulate an appeal.
Some
of you may have received a news letter without two of these enclosed.
This was caused by a breakdown in our mailing system and we apologise
for this.
Copies can be downloaded by following the links on the left to the
"appeals letter", "letter of protest" and "appeals
info request".
The
news letter can be read here.
Latest
Moves
At
a meeting, between management and the Trade Unions on Friday 7/3/08,
we were informed that our employers intend to apply the Single Status
settlement, in full, to members of unite (T&G) who returned a
vote to accept the changes including reductions, in terms and conditions
contained in the offer issued to employees at the end of January.
Management also informed UNISON and GMB that they were willing to
continue negotiating in the hope of reaching a collective agreement.
We were also told, by management, that they intend to consult again
with individual employees, other than those in unite (T&G), to
try to secure a collective acceptance of the changes to terms and
conditions.
In
our opinion, this a clear attempt to follow a strategy of creating
division in the workforce, by-passing the principles of collective
bargaining, in order to force through unpopular and drastic cuts to
our terms and conditions.
UNISON believes that to accede to these tactics and give up the fight
to retain our hard won working conditions for the promise of short-term
gains would be in no-one's interest.
We
are seeking further advice, including guidance from our legal department
and will issue a further statement as soon as possible.
Ballot
Result on Single Status Offer
The ballot closed
at 12 noon on Friday 29 February 2008 with the following results:-
No. of Ballot
Papers issued 1692
No. of Ballot Papers returned 891
% of Ballot Papers returned 53 %
No. of Votes to
ACCEPT the offer 250
No. of Votes to REJECT the offer 637
Spoilt Papers 4
% ACCEPTANCE of
the offer 28 %
% REJECTION of the offer 72 %
The position of the Branch is therefore to REJECT the offer.
We would like
to thank all our members who took part in the Ballot Process
The next stage
in our fight against the slashing of our terms and conditions is to
take our arguments to our employers.
To do this we ask all members to lobby the full meeting of the Council
which is taking place on Thursday 21st February in Tom Johnstone
House, Kirkintilloch at 6pm.
We need to let Councillors know the strength of feeling against the
proposed changes and that we will not be bullied into accepting them.
Ballot
papers have now been posted to all members affected by single status.
Along with the papers the Branch Executive Committee enclosed an explanation
of their recommendation of rejection. This can be downloaded by following
the link to the left.
Around
four hundred members voted unanimously, at last nights meeting (6/2/08),
to endorse the Branch Executive's position and to support the plan
of action put forward in reaction to the offer presented by management
last week.
(this can be read by following the link to the left.)
This means that UNISON will be balloting all members who come under
Single Status.
The ballot papers will be sent out after 7th February with a recommendation
from the branch to reject the offer.
It is imperative that ALL members return their ballot papers before
the closing date. In order to proceed with any action, your representatives
need a clear mandate from you, the membership.
A copy of the
handout outlining the Branch Executive Committee's position on the
final offer which will be issued to members at the meeting on 5th
February can be downloaded here.
A full report will be posted here as soon as possible.
Most employees
affected by single status will have received details of the single
status final offer in the post on Friday 1st February. This includes
personal outcomes and details new terms and conditions.
From initial contacts, many UNISON members are reacting angrily to
some of what is contained in the offer. If you wish to have your say
on how we, as a branch, respond then we urge you to attend the meeting
on Wednesday 6th Feb. (details here.)
The Branch Committee will be meeting on Monday and Tuesday to discuss
this matter before the meeting on Wednesday. If you wish to contribute
please speak to your local steward.
At the meeting
last week it was agreed that UNISON members should be encouraged to
write to their councillors, if they are residents of East Dunbartonshire
and that other employees should write to the council leaders.
We have links on the left, to letters, which members can use or adapt.
Over two hundred
members turned out at the Special General Meeting, held in Kessington
Hall on Thursday 10th January. A presentation was given which can
be downloaded by following the link to the left.
A full report can be found here.
A final offer,
which can be downloaded by following the link to the left, was given
to the Trade Unions on Tuesday 4th December.
UNISON will fully consult with our Stewards and members before making
our formal response to the management side's offer.
Meanwhile we have issued a news letter which can be read by following
the links here.
