SINGLE STATUS UPDATE 2

Updated version 27 February 2007

By now all members should have received their Single Status / Job Evaluation Pack. If you have still not received it then please contact your line manager or departmental personnel.

The purpose of this communication is to update members following on from the Annual General Meeting on 17 February.

• Contrary to popular belief UNISON has not agreed anything in relation to Pay & Grading or Service Conditions. These proposals were agreed by the Council and are now out for consultation. Some elected members are denying that they agreed to the proposals but UNISON would emphasise that effectively they are Council Policy out for consultation.
• UNISON is at present conducting its own consultative exercise. A further stewards' meeting has been convened for 28 February in the Argyll Hotel, Inveraray. Members' meetings are being organised on an Area Basis for the period of 5 to 14 March.
• UNISON's policy at this stage has been to reject both the Pay & Grading Proposals and the Service Condition Proposals. Indeed we have been involved in discussions with the Council where previous proposals which were more detrimental and we have been instrumental in rejecting them.
• Consultation is to listen, assess and then to formulate policies which the membership wish to progress. We would hope that the Council will also take this principle on board on completion of the Survey Form.
• Discussion has taken place between UNISON and the Head of Personnel Services over the lodging of Appeals to Job Evaluation.
• The Council wishes the appeal forms to be completed as fully as possible.
• Line Managers' comments and Head of Service signatures etc. can be got at a later stage if necessary. The fact that they might not be included will not debar the appeal.
• In relation to UNISON'S previous advice, we believe that we fulfilled the criteria in lodging appeals as a holding exercise. Apologies for confusion in the previous advice, but members must recognise that this is a totally fluid situation. We recognise that members are having difficulties understanding the process, the appeal procedures, the forms, the guidance notes and in particular the levels being arrived at in the scoring exercise. UNISON will undertake to advise members on the appeal grounds and represent them where appeals are legitimate.
• UNISON has been made aware of possible cases by managers of perhaps inadvertently making statements we consider to be bullying, intimidating or harassing such as "there is no point in appealing, you might make it worse", "you cannot as a group discuss this in working time". We are sure that these managers are in the minority but by their statements are operating against Council policy and agreements. To these managers we say "behave and stop". UNISON will protect its members.

Donald Brown. Branch Chairperson.