Single Status update

Negotiations on the implementation of Single Status within Manchester City Council are currently in progress.

Branch Secretary Tony Caffery said, "There's no doubt that these hugely complicated negotiations will have far-reaching implications for employees working for the Council. The Branch is committed to securing the best deal possible for all its members, which is why we've extended the period for negotiation with the Council. However, as we've said many times before, members will have the last say on whether to accept any final agreement and we expect this to be early in the New Year."

Background to Single Status

In 2003, members were balloted on Phase 1 of Single Status (which largely dealt with members in receipt of bonus) and a Framework Agreement for the roll out of the next phase of Single Status. This agreement was accepted by a margin of 8-1 in favour.

Following this decisive ballot, the single table trade unions (UNISON, T&GWU and GMB) and the Council signed up to a Framework Agreement in December 2003. This committed the parties to continuing talks on implementing Single Status and it outlined a number of issues to be completed by certain deadlines:

• The Council to publish a pay line demonstrating a 'points to pay' relationship by no later than 1 October 2004
• The Council to publish a pay policy
• The parties to agree arrangements for time-limited cash value pay protection within one month of publication of the pay line.

Whilst some progress has been made in the current round of negotiations, it became apparent that these deadlines were unlikely to be met. The trade unions therefore sought an extension to this timetable. The Council agreed and negotiations will continue up to Christmas. All the trade unions are committed to holding a further ballot of members on the final package and have agreed to common timetable of the end of January 2005 to have consulted members.

UNISON Manchester is represented at the negotiations by Tony Caffery, Branch Secretary, Phil Widdall, Regional Officer, Jane Slater, Assistant Branch Secretary, and Bob Oram, Branch Treasurer and member of UNISON's National Executive Council.

These negotiations are crucial. They will result in a single, harmonised pay and grading structure for all employees on NJC ('Green Book') conditions, which number nearly 16,000 people.

What's Single Status all about?

The main areas under discussion are:

• Job Evaluation and the introduction of a fair, transparent and equal pay structure
• Pay protection
• The introduction of a new redeployment scheme.

What is Job Evaluation?

At the moment your pay is set by managers with advice from Personnel Officers. Over the years the current system has led to many jobs, traditionally carried out by women, such as those in home care, cleaning and catering being undervalued. In some cases, women working in local government are paid 23% less than men doing a similar jobs. This is clearly unacceptable.

Even so, Job Evaluation is not just about pay differences between women and men. Similar jobs but in different departments of the Council result in various rates for the job being paid, whether they are carried out by women or men.

What Job Evaluation does is objectively measure and score the tasks that make up each job. Each task is given a number of points, and then these points are then added together to make up a job score. By looking at jobs in this way, jobs that are similar will be paid equally across the Council. This is much fairer than the current 'guess work' that is undertaken when setting the rate for the job.

Will Job Evaluation affect what I am paid?

Yes. For many Council employees, pay rates will change. Once jobs have been evaluated, their scores are placed on the pay line. The pay line sets the relationship between pay and points. The unions have the right to be consulted on the pay line, although the Council have consistently stated that, ultimately, this is a decision for them.

Some people will stay on the same level of pay that they currently receive and there will be no change to the amount that they earn. Many will be on higher pay rates than they are currently - these individuals will have their pay rates increased as soon as their jobs have been evaluated. Some people will be on less money than they are currently. These individuals will need to be pay protected.

What Will My Job Be Worth?

We do not have individual jobs scores for all employees. In Manchester there will be around 16,000 employees affected by these new arrangements. It is impossible to evaluate every post immediately. Given the enormous task of conducting job evaluation reviews across the authority the employers have indicated that this will be on a service by service basis with a deadline of 2007 for completion. This is consistent with the recently agreed pay award that established a timescale of March 2007 for the implementation of new pay and grading structures.

However previous research suggests that under Job Evaluation around 70% of the work force will either get an improved rate of pay or will stay at their current pay levels.

What if I am a 'winner'?

If, following Job Evaluation, your job score means your rate of pay goes up, you will receive the new rate immediately.

What if I stay the same?

If, following Job Evaluation, your rate of pay is as it is now it will mean that nothing happens to you. However it gives you an assurance that your rate is fair compared to other Council employees.

What if my pay goes down?

The unions will be working hard to make sure that there are as few 'losers' as possible. However where job scores mean that current pay rates are above the job evaluated pay rate those individuals will receive pay protection.

How does pay protection work?

Where an employee's post is evaluated at a lower rate than is currently paid, that employee's pay will be 'frozen' for a period to allow the new job evaluated rate to 'catch up' with current earnings.

For example, if Employee A currently earns £15,000 pa, but after job evaluation their score entitles them to be paid £14,000, their pay will be frozen at £15,000, with the £1000 difference being pay protected.

During this time, a pay award worth £500 may be introduced, taking Employee A's job evaluated grade to £14500. Employee A will continue to receive £15,000 but the pay protected 'gap' will now only be £500.

The following year, the annual pay award may equate to £600. This would mean that the 'gap' in previous and current grades had been bridged and Employee A 's earnings would now be £15100.

The previous Agreement stipulates that the length of time these arrangements can apply will be a period of time between 3 and 5 years. The length of pay protection is one of the issues currently under discussion.

Future Consultation

The Branch are committed to putting any final package to a full ballot of members. As some of the issues are complex, we will also be carrying out a number of workplace meetings to explain what is being proposed in order to give members the opportunity to ask questions, and there will be further newsletters such as this to keep you up to date with developments.

Pensions Alert - Take action NOW

On 16th November, the TUC organised a lobby of Parliament to oppose Government changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The Manchester Branch sent two representatives to the Lobby to represent your interests. And as UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis made clear to MPs, "Make no mistake - public sector workers are angry,"

"Angry because the Government's proposals are an attack on their terms and conditions. And angry because they were told that they would be able to retire on a decent pension at 60. A promise is a promise - but apparently not when it comes to the pensions of public sector workers. MPs have voted themselves one of the most generous pensions schemes in Europe. The fat cats of industry award themselves pensions that look like lottery numbers - the sort of pensions their workforce can only dream about."

There are two key issues that members need to be aware of:

• The Government is bringing forward new regulations to alter the current retirement ages in the LGPS

• There will be a consultation on the Government's proposals for a new local government pension scheme to come into force from April 2008.

These are the issues that we all need to take up with our MPs. UNISON has provided a model letter to send to your MP to get them to support UNISON's position on this crucial issue. You can get a copy by phoning the Branch Office and also download a copy from the national website.

The Government will be putting new regulations for the LGPS before Parliament shortly with an intended implementation date of 1 April 2005. The regulations include:

• Retirement ages. Currently you can retire at 60 on full pension if you fulfil the 85 Year Rule. This rule allows people to retire early on a full pension if their age plus their number of years service equals or is
  greater than 85 years. This rule is to be abolished, meaning that to be eligible for a full pension you will must work until you are 65.

• Currently if you are 50 you can retire on other than health grounds but the regulations will change this to 55. You may even have to wait until the age of sixty to draw a deferred pension if the employer does not give consent.

• Transitional arrangements. A member who is 50 by 1 April 2005 will still be able to retire early before 55. Likewise a member who is 60 before 1 April 2013 will be able to retire before 65 with an unreduced pension, but only if their age and length of service is equal to or more than 85 years.

These big changes are being rushed in with a significant lack of information. We have no idea how many members will be affected or the true cost of the change. UNISON's position is that members are being treated unfairly and that the real reason why these changes are being rushed in is because a number of local authority pension funds are in deficit. UNISON believes we should delay any changes to the LGPS so that a full strategic review, within the current consultation for a new local government pension scheme, can take place.

Nationally and at the Branch level, UNISON is doing its utmost to protect your pension rights, but we definitely need your help on this issue. Please write to your MP now and tell him/her that you are not happy with the proposed changes. If you are not a member, act now by joining UNISON and help us stop the attack on our pensions.

Branch Round-up

What follows below is a highly edited version of the Branch Officer report to Branch Executive Committee; so if you want more information on any particular issue, please get in touch with your local steward. And if you haven't got one in your workplace, why not volunteer - training, time-off for trade union duties and Branch support is available, plus you'll never be short of people wanting to talk to you.

Children, Families and Social Care
Due to differences in Care Management provision and caseloads between divisions within Social Services, a review is being undertaken. Particular problem areas include Learning Disabilities and Physical Disabilities. Within Older Peoples Services, the review of Home Care services has been completed.

Amongst many controversial proposals, management have proposed the closure of White Moss Resource Centre and to privatise Respite Care. The Branch has a launched a campaign to stop the closure - more on the back page.

Within the Manchester Learning Disability Partnership, UNISON has played an active role in the Day Services restructure. Rejecting management's first proposition, UNISON proposed a more satisfactory alternative for members. This has been agreed by the Day Services Manager, and are now being considered by the Head of Service.

Delayed Discharge arrangements have not had the anticipated impact upon Hospital teams in the Department with fewer cases of bed blocking than expected. Consequently, there has been no need for weekend working arrangements for care management staff.

The review in Manchester Advice is still on-going and regular meetings between UNISON stewards and management continue. A written report has been completed but management seemed reluctant to share this and concerns were raised that management were trying to avoid negotiations. This has now been resolved and the report will be discussed before going for approval.

After long and hard negotiations, it has been agreed that staff in the Cheetham Family Centre be offered the option of secondment rather than TUPE transfer. Negotiations regarding the secondment arrangements have come to a successful conclusion. New proposals for sleeping-in for staff at Children's Units have been challenged by UNISON. Negotiations are ongoing.

Environment and Operations
Following his election as Assistant Branch Secretary, Danny Wilson has assumed responsibility for representing the Department with Catheryn Donnellon replacing Danny as Convenor. They've been heavily involved in the Contract Services Restructure Phase 2. The interview process and appointments have now been completed with initial indications showing that 30 staff would face redeployment and they have, or will, participate in a Training Development Scheme titled "Step Change." Feedback from members has been encouraging and UNISON will continue to support members throughout the redeployment process.

UNISON still awaits details of the Environmental Health and Health and Safety restructure proposals, whilst the Transport & Procurement Restructure continues apace as do restructures in Coroners and Registrars.

Voluntary Sector
There continues to be significant problems in the Voluntary Sector involving individual members. These difficulties relate to serious disciplinary matters plus a number of realignments within the sector and changes in Government legislation. The Branch will continue to support members working in the sector.

Education
There appears to be a number of changes to the service, some of which are a result of the Best Value report whilst others seem to be a matter of managers having 'corridor' discussion with staff without any formal agreement. UNISON regards the latter as unacceptable. Contact has been made with the new chief of the service requesting an explanation for recent events. Issues relating to individual Teaching Assistants continue, with a number of schools still not fully understanding the role of TAs, much less paying the proper grades. As this requires negotiation with individual Heads about job descriptions, etc, resolving such issues can be a slow process but Brian Stangoe,UNISON Assistant Branch Secretary, continues to pursue this with alacrity. Further, the Government's change of policy relating to inclusion is now impacting on some schools, with staff having to place children within mainstream schools before January.

Youth Service
Since Youth Service has now gone into the Children and Families and Social Care Division, they are being subjected to a number of changes, mainly relating to the implementation of all City Council policies. UNISON continues to actively monitor developments.

Chief Executive's
If you've read this far, you'll not be surprised to learn that… there are a number of major restructures underway. In Building Control the restructure is near completion, that in School Crossing will be released shortly whilst yet another in Crime and Disorder is on-going.

Corporate Services
Again, there are a large number of restructures underway. In the Corporate IT Unit, the restructure is near completion, staff in the Service Development Team are requesting a review, whilst the whole of the Benefits, Council Tax and Business Rates service is to be reviewed. The restructures in Corporate Valuation and Property and in Support Services and Treasury Management Accounting Group continue. Fortunately, as in many other Departments, there is a vibrant stewards committee. This holds regular well-attended meetings and is chaired by new Convenor, David Hall, from the Benefits Unit.

Hospitality and Trading Services
Phase 3 of the Town Hall restructure is still ongoing. In Schools, the good news is that most Primaries have now signed three year HATS contracts for school meals, yet the concern remains that staff could be employed directly by schools. UNISON will continue to secure the best deal possible for members.

Serco
All Belle Vue staff have now returned to the City Council. Staff meetings were held in all SERCO Manchester Leisure sites and a review of the current staffing position has been undertaken by SERCO Leisure. The review of engineering at SERCO Leisure continues.

Leisure
Meetings have been set up by UNISON to discuss sickness and absence procedures in the Department and to ensure all members receive a fair deal.

Early Years and Play
Is now a part of the Children and Young Peoples' Division of the Children, Families & Social Care Department. Following the appointment of the Head of Sure Start, meetings have now been planned to consider proposals on the structure of the new Division, other than the Youth Service element. UNISON is currently organising meetings of Centre and Support Workers to identify their main concerns.

OFSTED
News just in of the Government's decision to close regional offices… more in the next edition. There were already significant issues of stress related illness amongst staff relating to workload pressures and this bad news is unlikely to help. Linda Ronan, Senior UNISON Steward, continues to do a sterling job for members in what is a hugely challenging and difficult environment.

Manchester Care
Following consultation with the trade unions, a pay increase was implemented on 1st October. UNISON had a number of criticisms of the proposals, although in the tight financial circumstances within which the Company operates, the increase was not unwelcome. UNISON have urged management to consider switching the significant resources spent on expensive agency staff to additional pay for permanent staff to cover shifts. The Company is building a larger home in Wythenshawe to replace the existing four obsolete homes. Other homes across the City also require replacement and methods of funding this are being explored.

Greater Manchester Connexions
A meeting has now been held with Management to discuss the issue of formal recruitment, and the Branch will pursue this issue vigorously. If necessary, we will take formal steps to gain recognition. In Better Choices - formerly known as Careers Partnership (Manchester, Salford and Tameside) - the financial situation has eased somewhat. Pay negotiations, stalled since April, have now been finalised for two years with a proposal matching the Local Government settlement of 2.75% this year and 2.95% in 2005 plus possible consideration of the two additional discretionary days leave at Christmas. Kate Russell (UNISON Convenor) and UNISON stewards are to be applauded in achieving this in very difficult circumstances.

Housing
AS reported previously, housing bosses had devised a hugely bureaucratic and unnecessary addition to an already complicated absence procedure that guaranteed to waste everyone's time. When UNISON robustly and repeatedly pointed out members' concerns, management agreed to withdraw their daft proposals. Another victory for UNISON and common sense, although management say that if sickness levels do not improve they may discuss the issue again. Despite many months and several staff meetings, a partner for the Miles Platting PFI has still not been selected. Once this happens talks can begin to discuss future arrangements.

And finally…
The Branch Welfare Officer continues to help members with support and advice. Further, the Branch continues work to establish a Life Long Learning Centre. This will be funded by the TUC and run by learner reps from trade unions. More learner reps are required who will be provided with all the necessary training and support to fulfill the role. Get in touch if you want to volunteer.

Perparim Demaj Must Stay

Perparim Demaj arrived in the UK in 1998 having fled personal trauma in war-torn Kosovo. He was given leave to remain in the country by the Home Office and since then has worked and studied extremely hard, learning almost perfect English as well as studying Social Care. Perparim decided on his arrival that he wanted to help vulnerable people and has shown exceptional commitment in this field. From 1999, he worked in Manchester as a Mental Health Nursing Assistant and as a Community Support Worker with older people and people with HIV/AIDS.

However, after working in Social Services for four and a half years, Perparim was informed in July that he no longer had the right to work in the UK and that he may be facing deportation. Despite their best efforts the Council had no option but to dismiss him or face legal action from the Home Office. Colleagues,managers and his clients are devastated to have lost him - he has been a lifeline for scores of vulnerable people in the Manchester area. Such is the high regard he is held in by the Council, they have left his post open as well as a career path, and he has huge support from his local community.

So despite having paid tax and national insurance for over four years, Perparim is now left destitute because the UK's draconian asylum laws mean that he receives no benefits. Further, he now has to sign on every month with the Immigration Service and he could be detained and deported at any time. Perparim's lawyers reacted to this unfair treatment by presenting a case to the Home Office for discretionary leave to remain in the UK.

The Branch, Manchester City Council, Keith Bradley MP and many others support the campaign for Perparim to be allowed to remain in the UK and contribute to the community. Please help by signing and circulating the petition and raising this matter with your MP or local councillor. Get in touch with Wendy Allison, Equalities Officer, at the Branch Office for more information.

Imagine if everyone bought FairTrade tea and coffee...

Around 26,000 people work for Manchester City Council. Assuming that everyone pays 50p into their tea club every week and about half of that goes to pay for the tea and coffee, that means our collective buying power amounts to a massive £676,000 per year.

Now we've got a choice. We could continue to buy non FairTrade products and ignore the fact that farmers in the developing world are being ripped off by the big corporations and that their livelihoods are being devastated as a result. Alternatively, we could buy FairTrade products, like coffee and tea. It costs a bit more but on the other hand, this ensures that the price actually covers the cost of production plus a social 'premium' is paid to the producers to help them improve their living and working conditions.

We join a trade union because we know we can achieve more together through unity and collective strength. And we can also use this collective strength to help others less fortunate than ourselves. Fair Trade products are now available from most supermarkets and Food2Go in the Town Hall stocks it. so you've no excuse.

And after all, it's not that often that helping improve the lives of many thousands of people in the developing world is as easy as drinking tea. Make sure your tea club buys FairTrade products - if we all did, we could make a very big difference to people's lives.

Manchester Black members group

Did you know… Black people are three times more likely to be unemployed, they are also subject to high numbers of (often unreported) race hate crime. Black people convicted of criminal offences receive higher custodial sentences for the same crime committed by white people. And as a Labour Research Department report commissioned by the TUC proves, Black people are also concentrated in the lowest paid jobs.

UNISON Black members group gives members the chance to discuss service and conditions issues that directly affect them. Self-organisation is about building strength, ensuring members feel involved and empowered to come together to help themselves. This is not 'different' or 'special' treatment. It is simply an opportunity to be involved in influencing and shaping UNISON's anti-racist strategies and the impact this has on all members.

Interested? Then come along to the regular UNISON Manchester Black Members Group meetings. Contact Rena Wood, via the Branch Office, for more information.

Too Sick For Leave?

Long term illness carries the double jeopardy of being poorly and becoming potentially quite poor, as pay reduces from full, through to half pay, then nothing. However, you need not lose out on receiving holiday pay if you apply the findings of the Employment Tribunal decision of Kigass Components V Brown. This established an employee's right to claim pay for holidays even when contractual sick pay entitlements have run out. However, an employer will not pay you automatically, you must ask for it.

The only requirement is that you give written notice that you require annual leave as you would have done had you been actually working and used a leave card. The leave must be applied for and taken in the year it is accrued or it may be forfeited. So remember this if you, or someone you know, is ill and unlikely to be able to return before the leave year ends. Talk to your local workplace steward or the Branch Office for more information.

Stop Press… Managers Keen to Axe White Moss

Social Services management plan to shut the White Moss Resource Centre following zero consultation with residents, service users or staff. The Branch and services users have launched a campaign to keep this well used centre open. Call Wendy Allison or Phil Widdall at the Branch for more information.

News in Brief

• More evidence emerges that PFI wastes huge amounts of time and money every year. According to an in-depth report from the respected publication, Building Design, the amount wasted in the last full financial year could be as much as £400m. This could pay for two major hospitals outright.

• At the forefront of the successful campaign to bring in a national minimum wage, UNISON now urges the Low Pay Commission to take a calculated leap forward by increasing it to £6.50 per hour, so allowing it to help eradicate poverty and get workers off benefits. After all, why should the taxpayer subsidise employers who offer just poverty pay?

• In a welcome reminder to a Government whose drift to the right seems relentless, Robin Cook MP warned against giving private firms a bigger role in public services. In a lecture in memory of NHS founder Aneurin Bevan, the ex-Cabinet Minister said "market values were not suited to services designed to meet social need as they run on the basis of self-interest. By contrast, public services should allocate their resources to meet social need." We couldn't agree more.