National Pay News - Latest From Jean Geldart
A final offer was made yesterday.
It is 2.45% on all spinal points with effect from 1 April 2008, plus an additional £100 p.a. on Scp 4, 5 and 6 (this would be Inner London 2, 3 and 4). The same conditions apply as the last offer: that we 'seek to agree' the Green Book review by 31 December 2008 and that we 'seek to agree' the pay deals for 2009 and 2010 by 31 December 2008. Clearly this is a real pay cut and a disguised 3 year deal - without even knowing the figures for the next 2 years.
Unison's national committee (the NJC committee) will meet on 8th April to decide what to recommend to branches and there will then be the usual branch consultation, with branches asked to arrange meetings and a ballot so that votes can be aggregated nationally. The closing date for the consultation is likely to be early-mid May to allow for the school holiday period.
Both GMB and UNITE will be holding national meetings followed by branch consultation, on about the same sort of timetable. At yesterday's meeting the trade union side did not take a position on the offer, as the GMB National Officer said he was not in a position to be able to commit himself.
For information, the Tower Hamlets branch committee today agreed to ask the NJC committee to reject the offer and campaign for action.
Note: In the event that industrial action is organised against the National Pay Offer, Unison members at the City of London corporation will not be involved in the ballot or any subsequent action. The City Corporation is not part of the National Negotiations.
(Updated 5 April 2008)
Report by Jean Geldart on the National Employers Pay offer for 2008 of 2.2%
A pay offer was made today. It is important that as much pressure is put on the employers as possible, and I hope that you will get this message circulated.
"A first pay offer was made today by the national employers. It was for 2.2% for everyone, to be paid from 1 April 2008. They are proposing two further points: that we should 'seek to complete' by 31 December 2008 the review of the national agreement (the 'Green Book') which was agreed to happen as part of last year's pay settlement but which has not yet started; and that we should 'seek to agree' by 31 December the pay settlements for 2009 and 2010.
The trade union side of course made it very clear that 2.2 per cent would not be acceptable and also made a strong case over the plight of lower paid staff. The Retail Price Index (the measure of inflation normally used in pay negotiations and also used by the Government for the annual uprating of pensions and benefits) is currently running at 4.1%, so this 'offer' is actually a pay cut of 1.9%. For lower paid staff, more of whose money is spent on items such as food and fuel, the real cut is bigger - food prices are increasing at 8%, fuel at 10% and petrol at 20%.
The unions also insisted that pay negotiations should not drag on as they did last year, and we have agreed a further negotiating meeting on 2 April at which the employers say they will make a final offer. We have a fortnight to put pressure on the employers. Every member can do their bit by writing a letter or emailing your own councillor, the Chair of the Local Government Association's Personnel Committee Steven Bullock (mayor@lewisham.gov.uk). Just tell them why you need a decent pay increase this year. Please copy me into any emails you send."
Best wishes Jean Geldart Tower Hamlets Unison
(Updated 27 March 2008)
For full and up to date information:- UNISON in local government
Previous News Items can be found here
The Branch Retired Members Secretary outlines the need for action for today's pensioners.
Read
News From Head Office
Unison calls for same pension rights for local government workers as agreed for the health sector. (18th October 2005)
Visit
General News
Read the latest Legal Briefing on 'Why are some members losing out'.
Visit
Reports from the Executive Committee
For links to the London May Day & the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival
Visit
Social activities (current)
News of any activities organised by the branch will appear here.
Social activities (past)
Visit
