UNISON remain in talks with NLC over proposed cuts to Terms & Conditions, changes to our pay and grading model and a move to a single term time calculator, but we are reaching a critical stage in the process with the cuts scheduled to be delivered on 1 April 2014.
NLC are still looking for over £4.5m of savings from our hard won terms and conditions, savings which will affect your salary if you receive any kind of add on to pay. These include:-
- Reduction of Overtime Rates to plain time
- Removal of Non Core Hours Allowance
- Removal of Designated Car Users Allowance
- Removal of Night Shift Allowance
- Removal of Professional Fees/Telephone Allowances
Our members who will be on the receiving end of this attack make up the lowest paid service group within the Council (the others being teaching staff and the chief officers) and UNISON has told the Council that “we’re all in it together” – why should one service group carry the whole burden? UNISON has also demanded some kind of protection for the very lowest paid.
To date the Council has not agreed to alter their plans in any way and time is running out for them to present options to us that we can even think about giving to you, our members, for consideration. Having said that, UNISON feel that there is a recognition from the Council of the hardship that these cuts will cause, and as such any examples of the difficulties the loss of these allowances will put you in would be helpful to our case.
As well as hitting our members take home pay, the Council has also been looking at the pay and grading model with a view to finally meeting their equality obligations. Equal pay claims on behalf of our members are currently at tribunal and NLC need to fix the problems that their failed pay and grading model caused to prevent ongoing liability. Their unwillingness to come to the table on this issue over the last 7 years has created a huge financial strain on the Council which ultimately will be paid by you and I in terms of jobs, services, and terms and conditions.
Talks continue on the term time calculator changes, with a small benefit to be experienced by most of our members who will be affected.
Get in contact with the branch, let us know how these cuts would affect you, give us further examples that we can put to the Council.
e-mail:- info@unisonnorthlan.org.uk
call:- 01698 276291