PAY, TERMS & CONDITIONS

In Scottish Borders Council, Staff have various Terms and Conditions with their Job as well as "normal" Pay.  Terms and Conditions are things such as Annual Leave, Public Holidays, Car Allowances, Flexible Working, Standby Payments, Unsocial Hours Payments etc.

As part of Single Status, T&C are being looked at and being reviewed in order to modernise them and ensure that these payments ensure Equality for Staff as well as Pay.

Many meeting have taken place throughout 2007 with UNISON and HR and various Managers looking at our T&C in all departments.  T&C can be different depending on your Job and what Department you work in and this is unfair for Staff.

UNISON have had regular Web Site Polls with Staff on various T&C in 2007, seeking opinions and to encourage our Members to discuss what issues are of most importance for them and give UNISON clear direction in Negotiations.

In October 2007, talks became much more formal and Negotiations began.  The T&C and Pay and Grading will eventually be one package put to our Members.  However Negotiations take some weeks as there is so much information to examine and further detailed figures are constantly being sought and worked on.

At this time the Package is very complex, but SBC have improved on various parts.  UNISON Negotiators have mixed feeling for the package as parts are of instant benefit for our Members, however some parts do give us concerns and will not benefit all.  UNISON will continue to negotiate extremely hard with these problem areas.

SBC aim to discuss the Packages with Staff in November and December.  UNISON will attend as many of these forums as we can to talk with our Members.

When Negotiations close, which may happen by early 2008, UNISON hope the package is further improved upon. Our UNISON Scottish Borders Branch Executive will send all the information forward to Legal Officers in Glasgow for examination and input.  If the packages passes all their tests for Equality and Fairness, the package goes forward to UNISON London for a detailed examination and input.  Here the package will be either recommended for further work locally or an approval given to organise a Ballot of our Members to accept or reject the offer.

Not all Scottish Councils allow this process to take place and a number of Councils take the drastic route of imposing change.  Some Councils have sought agreement for change from individual Staff rather than seek a collective agreement after a Yes Voting Ballot.  Some Councils have chosen to dismiss Staff with the offer of re-engagement on the new Pay and T&C.

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