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MINUTES of BRANCH ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING held on 24 MARCH 2003 in the CITY CHAMBERS, HIGH STREET, EDINBURGH The meeting was chaired by the Branch President, J Galletta. 1. OPENING REMARKS INTRODUCTIONS The meeting AGREED the Emergency Motions on War in Iraq and Nursery Nurse National Regrading Claim would be submitted to the Agenda. 2.APPOINTMENT OF SCRUTINEERS Four scrutineers were appointed - Alan Brown (Education), Maureen Christie (Social Work), Douglas Linton (Finance), Dot Paterson (Social Work) 3. STANDING ORDERS The Branch Standing Orders were AGREED for the following year. 4. MINUTES OF BRANCH MEETING 2002 The minutes of the last Branch Annual General meeting of 19th March 2002 were AGREED as a correct record with no matters arising. 5. ANNUAL REPORT No questions were raised on the Annual Report. At this point of the meeting the Branch Secretary made a special presentation to Joe Galletta (Branch President) who recently retired. He thanked Joe for all the work he has done on behalf of the branch over the past 27 years. A further presentation was made to Douglas Black (Branch Chairperson) following his recent appointment to a post of UNISON Regional Officer. 6. FINANCIAL STATEMENT The meeting AGREED the financial statements. 7. COUNCIL BUDGET & SINGLE STATUS The Service Conditions Convener appraised the meeting on the progress in negotiations on the following issues:- i. Job Evaluation ii. Salary Progression iii. Harmonisation of Pay Frequencies 8. ELECTION OF BRANCH OFFICERS The undernoted were elected unopposed: - President: Joe Galletta Chairperson: Barbara Foubister (Education) Vice-Chairperson: Matthew Creighton (City Dev) Secretary: John Stevenson (Social Work) Treasurer: Mike McCrossan (Housing) Service Conditions Co-ordinator: John Mulgrew (LVJB) Service Conditions Convener (APT&C) John Ross (Housing) Service Conditions Convener (Craft): Walter Weir (City Dev) Service Conditions Convener (Manual): George Lee (Social Work) Service Conditions Officers (4): Alan Brown (Education) Kevin Duguid (Finance) Agnes Petkevicius (Education) Lyn Williams (Social Work) Health & Safety Officer: Tom McLeod (City Dev) Recruitment/Membership Officer: Craig MacLeod (City Dev) Equalities Officer: Irene Stout (Culture & Leisure) Communications Officer: John Stevenson (Social Work) Welfare Officer: (Job-Share) Gillian Allan (LVJB) Mike Smith (Finance) International Officer: Matthew Creighton Elections required for the following Branch Officer post: Education Officer Ballot results recorded were: - Amanda Kerr (Culture & Leisure)/ John Ross (Housing) Job-Share - 80 votes Peter Sharma (Voluntary Sector) - 60 votes Amanda Kerr and John Ross were duly elected to serve on a job-share basis. No nominations were received for the post of Assistant Secretary and Vice-Chairperson (both of whom must be women). Nominations will continue to be sought via the Branch Committee for these posts. 9. RULE CHANGES No rule changes had been submitted. 10. POLICY MOTIONS Motion 1: Accommodation and Downsizing Proposed by John Mulgrew (LVJB) and Irene Stout (Culture & Leisure) This meeting views with extreme concern the unambiguous comments from senior councillors and officials to the effect that, as a result of office rationalisation, there will be reductions in staffing levels. We note this will happen in conjunction with the opening of the new Council Headquarters (proposed completion date 2005). We call upon the council to take measures at this time to identify potential areas for job loss and to put in place retraining programmes for threatened staff. Other measures such as recruiting on a temporary basis to vacancies in threatened areas should be employed to mitigate any threat of compulsory redundancies. We call upon Shop Stewards Committees to ensure this is a standing item on Departmental Joint Consultative Committee agendas and to put in place measures to maintain regular communications with those staff so threatened. Amendment Proposed Duncan Smith (Housing) and Ros Pettigrew (Housing) Delete paragraph beginning "other measures" And insert new paragraph as follows: "We recognise however that industrial action may be required to defend our members if the council insists on compulsory redundancies Decision: On being put to the meeting the amendment in the names of Duncan Smith (Housing) and Ros Pettigrew (Housing) was LOST and the original motion was CARRIED. Motion 2: Salary Protection Proposed by Kevin Duguid (Finance) and John Mulgrew (LVJB) This Branch notes with concern comments from lead council officials and councillors to the effect that the current agreement which provides for salary protection with no time limit will have to be withdrawn if the authority is to be able to afford application of the National Job Evaluation Scheme (due to be completed in April 2004). The inevitable proposal will be to protect salaries for a period not exceeding three years. It is anticipated the outcome of Job Evaluation will be salary increases for approximately 20% of staff, no change for 60% and salary decreases for 20% of staff. This would lead to a potential 20% of members suffering salary decreases in 2006. Such a proposal is unacceptable. We call upon Branch Officers to vigorously oppose any attempt to amend our current conditions for Salary Protection and to embark on a programme of Industrial Action if necessary. Decision: On being put to the meeting the terms of the motion were AGREED. Motion 3: Pay Proposed by John Mulgrew (LVJB) and George Lee (Social Work) This meeting notes the end of our 3 year pay deal following the final instalment being put in place in April 2003. We commit this Branch to oppose any attempt by the employers to move away from our national collective bargaining framework for pay increases. Further we recognise the application of a 3 year deal allowed for increases in pay beyond inflation rates and that it provided for an agreement which recognised the impact of the Scottish Executive's 3 year funding package for local government. We note with concern, however, the problems of recruitment and retention of staff in local government with pay being a major impediment to attracting new recruits. We call upon UNISON's Scottish Local Government Sector Group to enter into early discussions with the employer's with a view to seeking full funding by the Scottish Executive for a 3 year pay deal which will maintain above inflation awards whilst giving cognisance to other awards in the public sector. Amendment to Motion 3 Proposed by Douglas Linton (Finance) and Kevin Duguid (Finance) Add new paragraph 6 Any pay award must also be inflation proofed, in that the award must be maintained at a minimum of 1% above the rate of inflation. Add new paragraph 7 Furthermore, we call upon the Scottish Local Government Sector Group to initiate the setting up of a Local Government Pay Commission to try and help resolve not only the historical degradation in real terms of Local Government Pay but also the problems mentioned above of recruitment and retention. Decision: On being put to the meeting the terms of the motion as amended were AGREED. Motion 4: PPP Transfer of Staff Proposed by George Lee (Social Work) and Alan Brown (Education) This meeting notes the recent PPP protocol which ensures a common set of Conditions of Service will apply to all staff involved in PPP schemes and those conditions will be those applied to those staff forced to transfer to the new service provider from the council employment. Whilst reinforcing our commitment to continue to campaign against PPP schemes and their funding mechanisms which create huge profits for the private sector, we consider the implementation of this protocol will be a deterrent to the future involvement of potential Private Sector partners as they will no longer be able to profit from savings on the conditions of service applicable to workers, many of whom are amongst the lowest paid. We call upon the Scottish Local Government Sector Group to build upon this protocol and to seek agreement with the employers at a national level on a policy of no future transfers of staff in any PPP scheme. Decision: On being put to the meeting the terms of the motion were AGREED Motion 5: Professional Registration Fees Proposed by Keith Dyer (Social Work) and Kirsten Hey (Social Work) This Branch recognises that professional registration is a necessary requirement for workers within the Social Work Department and that it demonstrates professional competence, responsibility and development. We acknowledge that some professions employed by Social Work have been required to maintain registration in order to practice for many years and that the cost of registration has been the responsibility of the individual workers. However, there is a recruitment and retention crisis within the Social Work Department in Edinburgh. We recognise that the Branch is already in some discussion with the Council to look at solutions to this crisis. This Branch resolves, as part of these discussions, to gain agreement that registration fees will be paid by the Council for all Social work who are required to maintain registration or, alternatively, that salaries will be uprated to cover the cost of registration. Amendment to Motion 5 Proposed Alex Paterson (City Development) and Barry Dugan (City Development) In line 3 of first paragraph delete "within the Social Work Department" and insert "in many areas of the Council". In line 6 of first paragraph delete "Social Work" and insert "the Council". In line 2 of second paragraph delete "within the Social Work Department in Edinburgh" and insert "across many parts of the Council". In line 3 of third paragraph delete "Social Work". Decision: On being put to the meeting the terms of the motion as amended were AGREED. At this point of the meeting it was AGREED to debate the following Emergency Motions: - Emergency Motion 5a: War in Iraq The Emergency Motion was proposed by Ian Hood (Social Work) and Duncan Smith (Housing) Following Tony Blair's speech at the spring conference of the Scottish Labour Party, it has become clear that the UNISON supported demonstrations in London & Glasgow would not be sufficient on their own to change his mind and stop the drive for war. Therefore this branch re-confirms its opposition to war on Iraq and: 1. Calls on its members to take part in further protests organised
by the Scottish Coalition for Justice Not War and the Edinburgh
Stop the War Coalition, in particular in Parliament Square at
5pm on the day war starts and on the Saturday following at 12
noon on the Mound. 2. Calls on the UNISON National Executive committee to call for
the reconvening of the Trades Union Congress under Rule 8
(k) of its Rules and Standing Orders in the event of war to discuss
industrial action. [TUC Rules and Standing Orders - Rule 8 (k): In order that the
trade union movement may do everything which lies in its power
to prevent future wars, the General Council shall, in the event
of there being a danger of an outbreak of war, call a special
Congress to decide on industrial action, such Congress to be called,
if possible, before war is declared.] Amendment Proposed John Stevenson (Social Work) and John Ross (Housing) Delete point 2 Decision: On being put to the meeting the amendment in the names of John Stevenson (Social Work) and John Ross (Housing) was lost and the original motion was CARRIED. Emergency Motion 5b: Nursery Nurse Regrading Claim Emergency Motion proposed by Agnes Petkevicius (Education) and Barbara Foubister (Education) This Branch Meeting notes a national Regrading Claim was submitted to CoSLA on behalf of all Nursery Nurses in Scotland. The response from our national Employers was a rejection of that pay claim and an indication that they wish to erode current national Conditions of Service. It was agreed at a meeting of Nursery Nurses within this branch (held on Tuesday 18th February) that we are prepared to take industrial action, up to and including strike action, in pursuit of a negotiated Pay Award which recognises the important role of this professional group of staff in the education and care of our children. This is being backed at a Scottish level by our negotiators and it is likely a national campaign will be embarked upon. This Branch Meeting instructs Branch Officers to ensure any local campaign is fully supported and suitably resourced. Further we would seek the support of all Branch colleagues in our pursuit of a fair Pay Award. Decision: On being put to the meeting the terms of the motion were AGREED At this point of the meeting the Chair advised the AGM that the deadline for the close of the meeting had been reached. It was AGREED that all remaining motions and vacant Branch Officers posts being remitted to the Branch Committee for decision and action and the meeting was closed.
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