Service Conditions Common sense approach needed 1999 seemed to promise so much, for some the celebration of a new millennium, for others the chance to put the 90’s behind them. The reality for everyone concerned with delivering Local Government services was another year of under-funding with its consequent job and service cuts. It was also a year that started with potential industrial disputes which simmered until the Revenue Benefit Officers dispute overheated resulting in a programme of strike action throughout the summer. And so it ended, with the Janitors in dispute with the Council at the close of the year and calling for a ballot for action as the new millennium begins. So what exactly did the old year bring and what can we expect in the new one? Millennium Payments The Team was successful in negotiating the best deal in Scotland for members employed by the Council and who were required to work over the Millennium holiday period. The local agreement meant our members received up to 50% more than other Scottish Workers and also extended the qualification for payment to include staff who did not qualify under the Scottish deal. The deal delivered by the Team was instrumental in enabling other Sectors, such as the Police Civilian Branch, to negotiate Millennium Payments for their members. ET Successes This year saw the continuation of the trend of industrial relations problems were resolved through the involvement of either ACAS or the Employment Tribunal system. A number of cases involving both the Council or Voluntary Sector employers have been won or settled prior to a hearing. One bullying case resulted in a substantial pay out being made by the council to a member of this Branch immediately prior to the start of a civil court case. This in our view is evidence of the need for the Branch to be continually pushing the Council and Related Sector employers for improvements to be made to their industrial relation processes. A common sense approach as opposed to confrontation is urgently needed. Working Time Directive This year saw a series of detailed negotiations regarding the European Directive which limits working time to 48 hours per week and guarantees rest breaks between shifts. A full report on the implications of this for Council employees will be available soon. We also have a series of cases in the Voluntary Sector where employers are doing everything they can to avoid their responsibilities and the Team are striving to ensure all employers meet the obligations of the Directive. Industrial Disputes
Last year a major industrial dispute in the Revenue & Benefits section of Finance resulted in six weeks of rolling strike action being taken against the Council in pursuit of a grading claim. As a result of the tremendous solidarity displayed by the members involved the Branch was able to deliver a deal, which whilst not meeting the full claim, delivered a salary structure which gave the lowest paid an immediate increase and the opportunity to progress further. This year may see more industrial action taking place as the Branch pursues an official ballot of Janitors who are in dispute with the Council regarding their interpretation of a number of clauses in the recent review of Janitor’s conditions of service. Leisure Trust Pay Over the past year the ongoing difficulties relating to the terms and conditions of members employed by Edinburgh Leisure Trust have become more acute. A wage rise below that of the Scottish Local Government settlement was imposed by the Trust and consequently we are considering the possibility of either industrial action or an application to the Employment Tribunal in order to achieve parity of pay with Local Government workers. Council funding of the Trust has been key to the difficulties experienced and with a further projected cut of £0.5 million in their grant for next year there will be increasing pressure on members. Best Value 1999 saw an unrelenting stream of Best Value reviews being conducted by the Council with an insistence that all services (Council and Related Sectors) illustrate their ability to deliver a “value for money” service. There was one casualty with the “Void Gardens” contract being lost to the private sector but a number of notable successes were achieved by the Team. In particular, the winning of a substantial ground maintenance contract by the in-house DLO and the Fleet Services contract continuing to be provided in-house were welcome successes. Further other DLO’s also won contracts which were previously held by the private sector. Whilst we have been able to illustrate that in-house service provision is of a higher quality and more cost effective than private provision we cannot afford to be complacent and “Best Value” will continue to dominate Team members time in the forthcoming year. Career Schemes The past year has seen the Team involved in the drafting of a range of Career/Salary Schemes which had the general support of the affected members. Regrettably many schemes have not been implemented due to the insistence of the Council’s Management Services that we accept members may suffer detriment
as a result of schemes being introduced. There is a growing number of schemes being held back and we must endeavour to resolve this issue in the immediate future. Major issues for 2000 Budgets: Due to Central Government once again cutting the Council’s budget by £10million and not making any allowance for pay awards, budgets in every sector of the Branch will be under severe pressure again this year. These cuts, coupled with “growth bids” will potentially result in cuts of over £20million this year. This on top of the severe cuts which have devastated services in recent years will push service delivery in many areas over the edge. Talks are under way regarding the Budget and we will update the AGM on progress. DLO’s: Related to the Budget the Council intends to examine the future of DLOs & DSOs and how they are organised. This will require us to ensure that we are in a position to respond to any proposals by setting up mechanisms whereby local stewards in the DLOs and Team members work closely together to provide a unified response. PFI/PPP: The decision of the Council to embrace PFI projects in Education and Social Work will result in a heavy workload for both Steward Committees and Team Members during 2000. Nationally UNISON is attacking the principles of PFI in the political arena but locally our focus should be ensuring that PFI & PPP does not result in service provision being transferred to the private sector or lead to reductions in conditions of service. Single Status/ Harmonisation: A major priority this year must be given to the harmonisation of conditions and the implementation of a job evaluation scheme with everyone covered by Single Status requiring to have their job description redrafted and re-assessed. The Council has, in the view of the Branch, consistently dragged its feet on the issue of harmonisation and the Team needs to make this a priority in the forthcoming year. Human Rights Act: This will require the examination of agreements to ensure they comply with the terms of the Act. One of the main aspects relates to the right to know what allegations have been made and to ensure investigations are conducted fairly and quickly. This will arrive too late to address many valid complaints regarding treatment received during disciplinary hearings in the past but it is one of the priorities which the Branch must pursue in the forthcoming year so that employers amend their procedures to reflect the Act. Progress will be reported in future branch magazines. Fairness At Work: As a result of the Fairness At Work legislation the Branch has initiated discussions with employers in all sectors seeking amendments to leave provision in areas such as maternity/paternity and dependency leave. It is anticipated that this matter will be concluded satisfactorily in the near future. Thanks: Thanks, on behalf of The Team, must be given to the staff, Alida, Eileen, Julie, Monica, Nicky and Stevie who all tolerate our, at times, impossible deadlines and cries of despair and frustration. Further, my personal thanks must go to fellow Team members, Billy Mcallister, the Regional Officer, the Service Conditions Committee and local Stewards whose support and guidance at times of crisis is invaluable. John Mulgrew |
 John Mulgrew Coordinator |
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Also
on the Service Conditions Team: Secretary, Equalities Officers | |
