June 2011

Inside

Feeling Sick?

Is a hot summer here at last?

Stealing our wages: the government's great pension robbery

Update on management of absense policy and terms & conditions

City and County of Swansea

Review Pension's fight promise:

"the largest industrial action since the General Strike" Unison is putting the organisation in place to ballot for industrial action over pensions, it announced ahead of its annual conference this month.

General secretary Dave Prentis said if the government does not back down it will mean the biggest ballot by any trade union leading to the largest industrial action since the general strike . He made the comments as Unison s national executive met ahead of Unison conference.

The executive pledged its solidarity to unions taking part in the first wave of strikes on 30 June, and urged members to attend rallies on the day. Our strength is all the unions in the various sectors working together, Prentis added.

Dave Prentis, UNISON s General Secretary, is leading ongoing talks involving the public sector unions via the TUC on the government s plan to increase your LGPS contributions by between 50% and 100%, raise the retirement age to as much as 68, end Fair Pensions for privatised members and reduce your pension benefits. These talks are due to continue until the end of June ‒ or beyond.

The government wants to start implementing the higher contributions from 1 April 2012.

UNISON is clear that the combination of a

Public Service Not Private Profit

second-year pay freeze, high inflation and cuts to conditions will mean that many members are unable to afford to stay in the LGPS so we are fighting hard against an increase in contributions.

The LGPS is cash rich. It takes in far more than it pays out in pensions each year. It also plays an important role in the UK and global economies.

In March 2010, the combined funds were worth about £160 billion ‒ yes billion ‒ equivalent to almost 12% of GDP. That s the equivalent of nearly one third of the total value of all the companies on the London Stock Exchange!!

Pushing the LGPS into decline would have massive ripple effects on our fragile economy. Is that really what the government wants?

If negotiations fail, we will have to look to industrial action ‒ with the other LGPS unions ‒ to defeat the Coalition s attack on our income in retirement.

Preparations are already underway to make sure that we can hold a successful ballot of our members in the LGPS and the NHS Pension Schemes. continued on back-page

June 2011

Terms & Conditions Still Under Attack In 1997 as part of Local Government Reorganisation employers and trade unions agreed that a job evaluation (JE) exercise would be completed as early as possible. In 2001 following threats from no-win no-fee solicitors. that Local Authorities could and would be taken to Employment Tribunals if they could not demonstrate that all staff were paid in accordance with equal pay legislation, Swansea Council agreed to implement a JE (pay and grading) exercise around this time - again to be implemented at the earliest opportunity. Even though trade unions expressed a preference for the National Joint Council scheme it was agreed that the Council would adopt the Greater London Provincial Council scheme (GLPC).

For those of us who can remember JE forms were distributed to staff which were completed and the jobs were then to be scored and a 'rank order' of jobs published. These jobs were then to be split into grades and a pay structure was to be produced.

Following a great deal of time and effort primarily by the JE Team and joint trade unions the vast majority of the work was completed - latterly under the guidance of an 'expert' externally employed by Swansea Council.

Team and joint trade unions have put in to this exercise.

The Cabinet were provided with 6 possible pay models earlier in the year and agreed 2 models as a basis for negotiation but with a strong preference for one particular pay model. The pay models were finally shown to joint trade unions in April of this year and mainly the one (at this stage) is being used during negotiations.

In order to facilitate this work it was agreed that a Steering Group be formed comprising of joint union lay officials, joint trade union regional organisers, managers and the Project Sponsor. Monthly meetings were organised in January this year and all bar one have been attended by regional organisers. Therefore if you are told that regional organisers are responsible for any delays in the implementation of JE please think back to the history of job evaluation all the way back to 1997.

Following an exchange of veiws via the previous UNISON newsletter and a management reply via the intranet the last JCC agreed that joint statements would be issued on the subject of job evaluation and proposed new terms and conditions.

1000 Sounthampton Council workers marched recently (right) against pay and job cuts.

Council workers in Doncaster have also voted 66% for strikes against over 700 job cuts - and may join the action join on 30 June. Cumbria Unison has also written to all members recently saying it may ballot for action against 'single status' pay cuts.

The outcome of this approach did not meet with Council approval and the 'expert' was despatched and a new 'job family' approach under the guidance of an external consultancy called Ways. Under the new approach the Council was split into 7 'job families'. Each job was then given an agreed role profile (similar to the old job description) and most jobs have now been allocated into role profiles within the relevant 'family'. It is worth recognising the immense amount of work that the JE

It was further agreed that UNISON and other trade unions will continue to distribute factual information that tells our members the truth.

In addition to the above joint trade have been negotiating several new policies. The proposed Capability, Disciplinary, Grievance and Management of Absence policies have been negotiated with joint trade union lay officials and forwarded to regional organisers for any amendments and final ratification at JCC.

What' The votes in the NUT, ATL and PCS mean that 800,000 workers will be striking together against attacks on pensions and cuts in jobs.

As well as teachers and civil servants lecturers will be striking, Doncaster UNISON members are striking against cuts, RMT tube drivers will be on strike, POA prison guards could be out for two hours, Southampton UNISON and UNITE members could strike and Birmingham UNISON members could strike.

➲➲➲ Unison Reveiw interveiws CarrieAnn Watkins, PCS Branch Organiser for the Pensions Service in Swansea on the action and the connection to Local Government workers.

The 500,00

Why are th

Many staff b are worried and whethe they are to b sector depa to provide many helpin in society worst of the In the Civil S recruitment workload b delay in pro public. Mos are also fac freezes, wit awarded increases. M eligible to cl fact they ar This is on to Pensions. M facing a cut the change historically lower. The Public Sec biggest eve Members w towards the lower amou to receive t are 66 and a case of w The Report of the Gove

's happening on

??

00 strong TUC anti-cuts protest on 26 March: more action is needed to stop the cuts

he union's striking?

it proves that Public Sector Pensions are far from 'Gold Plated' be it in the Civil Service and are sustainable yet members about their job security are being made scapegoats for the er their job is going or if Bankers who caused the crisis. be privatised. All public artments are struggling What is the mood in your a top class job with workplace? ng the most vulnerable The mood in the workplace is very and this is before the positive towards the action taking e cuts are implemented. place on June 30th. In my nine Service we are facing a years of being a PCS rep I have t ban resulting in their never seen so much anger about being increased and a any proposed change as I have oviding a service for the over the Pensions change with st public sector workers many members making a point of cing another year of pay coming up to me to tell me how th the lowest paid being angry they are and how we have to below inflation pay fight. The majority of members in Many PCS in DWP are my branch earn under £18,000 per laim benefits due to the annum, yet they are being re on such low pay. expected to take a cut in pay of £40 op of the threats to our plus per month to pay into their Members are already Pensions which for many of them in their pensions due to will make it almost impossible to from RPI to CPI which live. Terms that they believed has always been far would be with them throughout e Hutton Report on their career are now being ctor Pensions is the threatened.

Members are er attack on Pensions. obviously concerned about their will have to pay more long term job security especially eir pension to receive a due to the fact that Swansea is unt and will not be able included in the top five list of areas heir Pension until they deemed most vulnerable to public eventually 68. It will be sector cuts and set to see over work until you drop.

4900 public sector jobs lost by t is a excellent example 2015. I have also seen a change in ernmentʼs hypocrisy as how members perceive the cuts in

general.

The PCS campaign 'There is an Alternative' outlines the case against public sector spending, highlighting the £120 billion tax gap of evaded, avoided and uncollected tax, the fact the government still owns over £850 billion in bank assets which would pay the deficit. This has resulted in members seeing they are not to blame for the state the economy is in and the cuts are a con in order for the government to be able to put their ideological assault of the Welfare State.

Can the strikes can win?

Definitely. No one likes to strike and it will always be a union's last option, but with the attacks members are facing there is no other way. The attacks not only on our terms and conditions but the welfare state in general will have repercussions for generations to come. PCS has seen many results trough strike action such as a no compulsory redundancy agreement, pay increases, and saving offices from closure.

The last time our Pension was threatened just by threatening strike action PCS won the pension dispute. if you do not take action then there is no change of ever winning.

What do civil servants have in common with local government workers?

Unison's members are no different to PCS members and we are facing the same attacks as and the same daily battle's. Pay freezes, budgetary cuts that are affecting workers and service users and the erosion on our accrued rights such as leave and flexi. Sickness policy is another example of how members of both the Civil Service and Local Government are being persecuted. Unison member's are also seeing their Pensions being threatened with the same attack as PCS members.

What can unison members do to support the strike?

There is a PCS rally in Castle Square on the 30th starting at 12.30 which has been organised

by PCS and supported by other trade Unions and the Swansea Against the cuts group. It would be brilliant if Unison members came to the rally to show their support and get involved on the 30th. If you see a picket stop and chat if you can, it really liftʼs picketer's spirits when they get support. In workplaces where you may work with someone on strike do not do their job on the day.

continued from front page The Local Government Service Group Executive has called for us to work with the other public sector unions towards joined-up industrial action in the autumn, if talks fail. All of UNISON s sectors in the LGPS have met to discuss how we take a co-ordinated campaign to defeat the government s proposals forward. This included probation and police support staff, members in further and higher education, the Environment Agency, the utilities, transport and in private companies and the voluntary sector. There will be further regular meetings as negotiations progress.

Detailed preparations are underway to make sure that, if we need to, we ballot everyone who should be balloted, that as many of our members vote as possible and that we get a big yes vote if there is no alternative to industrial action. The restrictive law on industrial action means that we need to get it right. If not, we could be challenged by the government in the courts and we don t want that to

campaign of strikes to defend their pensions whilst this newsletter was being written. This has already scared the government into partially backtracking over the policy. It has also clearly caught the mood of the union members. Delegate after delegate lined up during the serious and determined debate to support the idea of strikes.

Unison's leadership is encouraging delegates to prepare for strikes. If negotiations fail, we will ballot for sustained strike action in the autumn, said Jonathan Sedgebeer, moving the motion for the NEC. That s a fact...we need each and every one of you to go back to your branches and prepare for a ballot so we can win massively.

YOUR UNION

Heather Wakefield, Unison s head of local government, called Lib Dem minister Danny Alexander a thieving tomcat . She said, If it comes to it we have to win that ballot̶with the sort of majority that leaves the government in no doubt. We will protect our pensions."A motion calling on the union to make preparations for early, lawful industrial action within Unison s rules, and co-ordinate with other trade unions was backed unanimously by ort...conference report...conference delegates.

Delegates at Unison s local government There will be a full conference report and conference have voted to back a update on pensions in the next newsletter

Contact us:

TUC Rep of the Year The Wales TUC offers this award to recognise the importance of union reps in building the trade union movement and promoting equality in the workplace. There are hundreds of representatives in Wales who devote much time and energy to protecting and improving pay and conditions, ensuring that workplaces are safer and to creating new learning opportunities for their members. Often reps deal with wider subjects such as pensions and redundancy while they invariably have to deal with the specific problems of individual members. Their role is essential for trade union organisation and recruitment.

The deadline for nominations for the Rep of the Year Awards to Friday 29 July 2010.

How it works Reps can either self-nominate and put themselves forward or unions can identify and approach reps whom they think should put themselves forward for an award.

Further details can be found at the Wales TUC website at: http://www.tuc.org.uk/union/tuc-19500f0.cfm?regional=2

Unison Office The Guildhall Swansea SA1 4PE 01792 635271

unison@swansea.gov.uk

Joint Branch Secretaries: Nicky Symons & Mike Davies Unison has over 100 trained union reps throught the council, schools and FE colleges. We will advise, suppport and represent you collectively and individually on issues from sickness, disciplinaries to legal matters inside and outside the workplace. If you need advice or representation please contact the Senior Steward(s) for your department below or go to your workplace steward.

Alternatively please contact the branch office.

Enviroment Ian Alexander - 07584 505793 Tony Dearden - 07971 121533 Pat Lopez - 07584 505792 Social Services Alison Bell - 07941 757853 Bill Williams - 07557 560092 Resources Gareth Parry - 07584 341240

Sports & Social website: www.suss.me.uk

Education Chris Bell - 07967 551025 Karen Verallo - 07771 922985 Regeneration/Housing John Llewellyn - 07557 560093 Roger Owen - 07941819229 Clive Williams - 01792 534060

www.unison.co.uk

This newsletter is produced by the City and County of Swansea Unison Branch. Any letters, comments or suggestions for articles should be posted to the branch address or emailed to Unison@swansea.gov.uk. Correspondence is not guaranteed to be published and contents may not necessarily reflect Unison policy.