unison lg conference brighton| june 2014 local government pay across the uk njc and sjc douglas...
TRANSCRIPT
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY ACROSS THE UKNJC AND SJC
DOUGLAS BLACK AND
HEATHER WAKEFIELD
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
WHY THIS PRESENTATION?• SET THE CONTEXT FOR CURRENT DISPUTES• … AND THE FOLLOWING PAY DEBATE• HIGHLIGHT THE BIG PAY ISSUES• LOCATE THEM IN A WIDER AND LONGER-TERM
PERSPECTIVE• SUGGEST WAYS FORWARD FOR BOTH BARGAINING
GROUPS • JOINT STRATEGY WHERE POSSIBLE
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTWORKFORCE - SCOTLAND
• 247,000 IN 2013• PEAK OF 325,200 IN 2006• 79% OF PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS HAVE COME FROM
LOCAL GOVERNMENT• LARGEST PART OF PUBLIC SECTOR – 44% OF ALL
PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES• WOMEN 71% IN 2013• 55% PART-TIME – MAJORITY WOMEN
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE – ENGLAND, WALES, NI
• 1.6 MILLION
• OVER 400,000 JOBS GONE
• 77% WOMEN IN 2013
• 61% JOBS PART-TIME
• 91% PART-TIME WORKERS WOMEN
• MULTIPLE JOB HOLDERS
• UNDEREMPLOYMENT
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
THE BIG ISSUES• POVERTY PAY AND LOW PAY FOR ALL • CUTS AND REDUNDANCIES • RE-ORGANISATION AND PRIVATISATION• PUBLIC SECTOR ‘REFORM’• ‘MARKET’ PAY BECOMING BENCHMARK• TWO-TIER CODE GONE (ENGLAND)• WORKFORCE OVERLOOKED/NOT CONSULTED • COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FRAGMENTING
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
IMPACT ON BOTH WORKFORCES• 18%+ DECLINE IN NJC PAY SINCE 2010• 480,000 NJC WORKERS BELOW LIVING WAGE • 13% DECLINE IN SJC PAY SINCE 2010• CUTS TO CONDITIONS• EQUAL PAY OVERLOOKED• PART-TIME WORKERS EXPLOITED• UNPAID OVERTIME• LOW UNION DENSITY
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
NJC PAY SINCE 1996
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
UK SURVEY – HOT OFF THE PRESS!• 85% SAY WORKLOAD AND PRESSURE UP • 70% SAY STRESS AFFECTING PERSONAL LIFE• 40% STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET• 87% CUT PERSONAL/ENTERTAINMENT SPEND • 77% HAVE CUT SPENDING ON FOOD• DEBT INCREASED FOR ALMOST 60%• 94% SAY ‘RECOVERY’ BENEFITTING WELL-OFF• 94% SAY PAY OFFERS UNFAIR/DEEPLY UNFAIR
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
NEW PART-TIME WORKERS SURVEY• 20% PT AS NO FULL-TIME JOBS• 40% TO JUGGLE FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES• 75% BELOW UK MEDIAN EARNINGS IN 2013• 60% WORK REGULAR UNPAID OVERTIME• LONGEST HOURS SLASHED SINCE 2010• DOING FULL-TIME WORK ON PART-TIME PAY• MASSIVE CUTS TO CONDITIONS• 27% RECEIVED NO TRAINING
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
SJC BARGAINING ISSUES• REVERSE THE DECLINE IN PAY WITH A LONGER
TERM PAY STRATEGY
• CONSOLIDATION OF LIVING WAGE
• SEEK TO PROTECT JOBS AND SERVICES
• CONCLUDE JOB EVALUATION REVIEW
• EQUAL PAY
• IMPROVE NATIONAL AGREEMENT
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
NJC BARGAINING ISSUES• PUT PRESSURE ON NEW LABOUR LGA• GET LIVING WAGE AS LOWEST RATE FOR ALL• REVERSE DECLINE IN EARNINGS• STOP CUTS TO CONDITIONS• ENSURE JE/EQUAL PAY ONGOING• ACTION FOR PART-TIME WORKERS• ‘GENDER AGENDA’ INCLUDING TRAINING AND FAMILY
FRIENDLY CONDITIONS
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
COMMON OBJECTIVES• NEED ‘NEW DEAL’ WITH EMPLOYERS
• NEW COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS THAT ‘STICK’?
• STRONG/EFFECTIVE BARGAINING STRUCTURES
• PAY AND CONDITIONS = TO OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR GROUPS
• EQUAL PAY AND EQUALITIES TO BE CENTRAL
• WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
• EFFECTIVE AND CO-ORDINATED LOCAL, SECTOR AND UK INDUSTRIAL ACTION
UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014
BUILDING UNISON STRENGTH• BUILD DENSITY AND ORGANISATION FOR INCREASED
BARGAINING POWER…• AND EFFECTIVE INDUSTRIAL ACTION• IN CONTRACTED-OUT AREAS AND ACADEMIES• … AND IN PART-TIME WORK AREAS• ENSURE RMS REGULARLY UPDATED• TRAINING IN FINANCE AND THE ‘ALTERNATIVE’ TO
GIVE CONFIDENCE