News

The five higher education trade unions* today (16 July) expressed their dismay at the appalling final pay offer of 0.5% for 2009/10, made by the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA). They also rejected the employers' attempt to incorporate incremental rises and pension costs as part of the pay offer.

The trade unions expressed outrage at the employers' refusal to agree to enter into meaningful negotiations on a national strategy to protect jobs in the sector.

Jon Richards Head of Higher Education for UNISON said: "We have negotiated hard and long against an intransigent employer and come to the end of the road of negotiations. We will now consult with our representatives and members on the next steps."

*EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON & Unite

AGM 2009

The AGM will be held on Wednesday 4 March 2009 at 1pm in the Glamis Room, 1st floor of the Queen’s Hotel, where a buffet will be provided from 12.30pm. Even if you have not returned a slip you are still entitled to attend – the purpose of the return slip is so that we have numbers for catering. If you want to attend you can – but please let me know so we do not run out of food.

Please ensure you have permission from your head of department if attendance affects your working hours, as members are not automatically entitled to paid time off to attend.

Anyone who wishes to find out what is involved with being a rep or who is interested in starting a self-organised group, please feel free to contact me. Self-organised groups are the Black Members, Disabled Members, Lesbian & Gay Members.

Submission of motions/questions Any member who wishes to submit a motion for discussion or a question for the committee may do so in writing. Questions may be submitted up to and during the AGM, but proposals for motions must be submitted in advance as they are a formal procedure. Please send questions to any member of the committee and motions to the Branch Secretary by Friday 13 February 2008.

Rhona Clarke, Branch Secretary
ext 84939

Pay

You have now received the last part of the 3-year award negotiated by UNISON and the other HE unions – 5%. This means a total rise of 15.88% since August 06, 18.31% for the lowest paid. However, given the downturn in the economic climate next year will be very tough and the employers' side will likely take this year's increase into account. The strength and ability to improve pay and conditions in the future depends on Unison continuing to be a strong force in the HE sector.

HERA

Named after Hera, Greek goddess, wife and sister to Zeus, swallowed by her father Kronus after birth – ancient gods had difficult family relationships. Many of you may be wondering if a similar fate has happened to her namesake, the job evaluation scheme. We are still in the "informal" stage of appeals, ie meeting with an HR Officer to discuss specific points. The formal stage, submitting disputed cases to an Appeals Panel, has not started yet.

We have serious concerns about the final implementation of the scheme.

We believe that roles were scored based on their current grade. Employees whose jobs had changed completely and had waited up to 3 years for recognition because they were told that Hera would deal with it came out at the same grade and information supplied in their forms simply not recognised.

We are concerned about the allocation of levels in the Knowledge & Experience factor. A decision – not agreed by us - was made that clerical and technical staff would not merit higher than level D but ALC would merit C or above. C requires the roleholder to be able to apply a breadth or depth of experience showing full working knowledge and proficiency of their own area of expertise and/or act as a point of reference to others. As far as we are concerned this means that anyone appointed to an ALC post must have this level of knowledge and experience. It should no longer be possible to appoint anyone without appropriate knowledge/experience, eg new graduates or friends of Deans or wife of Professor X from an irrelevant background, as this level is now a requirement of the job. Level D requires the roleholder to be able to apply working knowledge of theory and practice, sharing this knowledge with others as appropriate – this was given to higher grades of clerical staff. Level E requires the roleholder to have sufficient knowledge or expertise to work on day to day issues in their own area and this was given to lower clerical grades. For staff who regularly advise ALC and academics on procedures and keep them right this was a slap in the face. Given the higher level possessed by academic/ALC staff it could be considered inappropriate for clerical staff at this level to be giving them advice – something to remember if ever faced with an ALC who has landed a job for which they have no relevant knowledge or experience. Your knowledge is a commodity for which the University was not willing to give you credit. You get no thanks or recognition for giving it away for free.

Some people have been red-circled, ie they were graded below their current grade and either have to accept a drop in salary or have their job looked at to get back to the original grade. Everybody who submitted a role outline form put themselves at risk of this, yet those who ignored the University's instructions to submit a form have been left untouched on their original grade – they have avoided the risk of being red circled. Those who were red circled have to undergo the distress of being told they are red circled, the stress of an appeal, the process of a PDP to give them more work and loss of income expected from incremental rises. They have been disadvantaged by participating in the process. It is not fair and it is not job evaluation. We want to initiate a collective grievance on behalf of members of clerical and manual staff who were red circled. Anyone who wishes to put their name forward for inclusion, please contact the Branch Secretary (Rhona Clarke, ext 84939, r.g.clarke@dundee.ac.uk ).

REVIEW OF STAFF POLICIES

As reported at the AGM, most of the staff policies are due for review and the first up is the Family Friendly Policy. This covers compassionate leave, the various family-related forms of leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Carers', Fertility Treatment, Foster Care) and jobshare/part-time working. It is likely that the name will be changed to something like Work-Life Balance to recognise that all employees have to balance work with domestic pressures and have a life outside work, not just those with carer responsibilities.

If you have any comments on how the Policy has worked for you or failed you, please get in touch - r.g.clarke@dundee.ac.uk .

AUT ACTION

UNISON respects the rights of other trade unions to take industrial action and members in HEIs are advised to continue their normal duties and responsibilities. UNISON members should not be expected to take on any additional responsibilities being given to them directly as a result of the AUT/NATFHE industrial action. Any examples of members being instructed to do so should be reported to your branch or regional office.

LGPS DISPUTE

Talks with the Local Government Association are to be re-opened.

The LGA have committed to discussing proper protection for current members if Rule 85 is abolished and agreed that talks be based on the savings made from abolishing the 85 rule and savings from revised arrangements will be available for protection and improvements to a new deal, as with arrangements for other public sector employees, such as teachers and civil servants. They have agreed that changes to the pension scheme should be made by agreement as far as possible in the future.

There is a lot of misunderstanding about this dispute.

Media claims that 26% of council tax goes on pensions are wrong - the real figure is about 5%.

In negotiations with those in other public service pension schemes, eg teachers, police, the armed forces and civil servants it was agreed current members would be protected, so that members will get the benefits they have paid for over the years. The changes in these schemes will affect new workers who will know what they are signing up to. However, the government refused to do the same for those in the LGPS so that those who have been paying into the scheme would find their benefits reduced but would be working alongside other public service workers whose benefits are protected.

The employees affected are mostly women and mostly low-paid staff whose pensions will be very small. Three-quarters of LGPS members are women - often working in low-paid or part-time jobs. LGPS members are providing basic services, such as school meals, refuse collection, support in the emergency services.

The average pension paid out by the LGPS is £3,800 a year, dropping to £1,600 - that is £31 a week - for women. Their pensions do not allow retired members to live a life of luxury at the taxpayers' expense, they help keep them out of poverty.

LGPS STRIKE 28 MARCH

This strike is about proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme. There are some University employees who are members of this scheme, i.e. those who were employees of the former Duncan of Jordanstone College and Northern College at the time of the mergers. Other University employees are not eligible to join the LGPS, it is a closed scheme.

It was unclear if University employees, those who are in the scheme or those who are not, could legitimately take strike action. There could be repercussions for branch officials if they advised or encouraged members to take part in strike action which was unlawful, so we had to make sure of our facts.

We have now received clarification.

Only those who are members of the LGPS scheme can go on strike.

Other members who are not in the scheme cannot go on strike or they could be open to repercussions.

Please ignore any communication from Unison nationally which suggests that because you received a ballot paper, you should take strike action.

The vote in favour of this action was 80% - an unusually high response. We fully support our colleagues in this action as it may be a precedent to encourage other employers to make detrimental changes to their pension schemes.

LGPS STRIKE

This strike is about proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme. There are some University employees who are members of this scheme, ie those who were employees of the former Duncan of Jordanstone College and Northern College at the time of the mergers. Other University employees are not eligible to join the LGPS. The University of Dundee does not run the scheme, although they will have a certain status as the employer of people who are still in the scheme. I do not know the extent of influence or participation in decision-making that status gives.

It is unclear if those University employees who are in the scheme can legitimately take strike action, it is questionable if those who are not eligible to join even they wished to can. I would be putting myself in a very precarious position if I were to advise members to take part in strike action which was unlawful.

I had been assured that we would not be involved in this action, however Head Office sent ballot papers and the subsequent email saying we would be called on to take strike action, to all members, including those who are not eligible to join the LGPS. Given the doubt, I cannot advise members to take part in this action, so please ignore the communications calling you out.

FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

The Framework Agreement talks which started over a year ago are nearing fruition. These talks followed a national requirement to harmonise hours, especially for manual staff, implement job evaluation and move to a single pay spine for all staff. Equalisation of terms and conditions is not obligatory over all staff groups, only across pay bands so that those earning the same pay must have the same terms and conditions. The final document should shortly be available as we have to ballot on it. The main points are:

• A 36.25 hour week ( a reduction for technical from 37 hours and manual staff from 38 hours, no change for clerical staff who had the shortest working week already). The new working week for manual staff will be implemented in 2 stages: 37 hours from 1 January 06 and 36.25 from 1 August 06. In recognition of the delay in bringing this in, manual staff who were in post last summer will receive 4 extra days annual leave as a one-off, 2 days to be taken in this holiday year and 2 to be taken in the 06/07 holiday year. The reduction in hours means that the basic hourly rate will rise. In some workplaces actual hours of work will be reduced, but in others the hours worked will remain the same so pay will rise even more. On the whole, it seems as if most managers are staying with the same hours, but they may review this for the next reduction in August. If the hours are reduced you work shorter hours for the same pay, if the hours remain the same you work the same hours for more pay.
• Current conditions for public holidays for manual staff remain the same. Currently, clerical staff are contractually entitled to take certain public holidays. Most do not, preferring to take the day at a time of their choosing.

The advantages of having a public holiday entitlement are

1. it is your right to take the designated days off and
2. should the employer require you to work, you should be paid double time and have a day off in lieu.

The disadvantages are

1. the employer can enforce the holiday, ie you have it as holiday, like it or not even if you would prefer to take the day at a time of your choosing,
2. in most cases the employer would not be willing to pay double time and if pushed would insist the days are taken as holiday,
3. annual leave days still accrue over sickness absence, but designated days which occur during the absence are lost.

Many of the manual staff have jobs working rotas and the benefits of double time and time off in lieu are part of the rota, so they do benefit from the public holiday entitlement and this was left unchanged. However, this does not apply to the clerical staff, who mostly ignore them, work the day and take the time when they want but would still suffer the disadvantages. It is proposed to change designated days for clerical staff to take them into line with the technicians. The only designated days would be the 7 days for the Christmas closure, with another 3 days to be taken only in specific and exceptional circumstances to extend the closure. (This is to cover a hypothetical situation to allow very major work to be done on campus which would prevent staff from being able to work.) Staff can still take public holidays, but they have to request them as with annual leave days.

• The move to a new single pay spine, which will replace the current system of each staff group having its own grades and pay, will happen after job evaluation but is effective from 1 August 06. Some points are the same, some are higher. There are 10 grades and 51 points on the new scale. Job evaluation will determine to which grade a post is transferred. New Grades 1 & 2 are the equivalent of Clerical Grade 1 and Manual Grades 1-3. New Grades 3-6 replace Clerical Grade 2-5. NG7 and above are academic and ALC grades. Manual Grade 4 and Clerical Grade 6 will be looked at specifically during job evaluation as these jobs could come out as being in different staff groups.
• Hera is the job evaluation system to be used. Clerical staff have had experience of job evaluation and may remember the long dispute, problems and inequalities which Equate caused. However, Hera is off to a much better start. A proper pilot is to be run as a testing ground so that any problems with our approach can be identified, reviewed and amended and analysts gain experience before going onto the real thing.
• Discretionary points will be called Contribution Related points or CRPs in the new system. Like discretionary points they are there to reward exceptional performance or personal contribution in a job outwith the normal requirements of the job. Unlike discretionary points they must be awarded in a fair and equitable way, to all who qualify. The popularity and numbers game which was the old system of awarding discretionary points would not hold up under equal pay. However, although we requested that self-nomination should be allowed, management were unwilling to concede this. We feel that this would be fairer, and there is a risk that the system will remain the same in practice and the inequalities of the old system will be perpetuated behind closed doors. Staff who feel they have been unfairly denied CRPs can take a grievance. The only way we can tackle unfairness is by taking cases and pursuing them as far as possible, to employment tribunal if necessary.
• Red-circling is the term for pay protection for those whose jobs have been graded lower than their current grade. Their salary would be frozen on their current incremental point but would receive cost of living increases for 3 years, but may be extended for another year. A Personal Development Plan will be implemented to allow the postholder to increase responsibilities so that their job meets the criteria for their current grade.

AUT/NATFHE INDUSTRIAL ACTION

As you may be aware members of AUT and NATFHE have voted to take industrial action in universities across Britain. This action is scheduled to take place on 7 March 2006.

UNISON respects the rights of other trade unions to take industrial action and members in HEIs are advised to continue their normal duties and responsibilities. UNISON members should not be expected to take on any additional responsibilities being given to them directly as a result of the AUT/NATFHE industrial action. Any examples of members being instructed to do so should be reported to your branch or regional office.

Members are reminded that due to industrial relations legislation only those employees who have been involved in a legal ballot on industrial action are allowed by law to take industrial action. However members may want to show their support for AUT/NATFHE colleagues by attending meetings/rallies outside working hours.