NJC Proposals and decision to cancel the strike
This union notes:
· The 2014/15 NJC pay claim was not awarded by the employer.
· Following the strike on 10 July 2014 there was no further action taken by Unison members in pursuit of the claim.
· The decision to call off the strike due on 14th October 2014 was made on the basis of the promise of a revised offer following a negotiating meeting which did not involve any elected lay members of the NJC Committee
· The decision of the NJC Committee to tell members this proposal was the best that could be achieved by negotiation and that the only alternative was significant all out action was taken without any consultation with Branches and Regions on the specific nature of the 2 year proposal.
· The 2 year deal nature of the deal does nothing to address the increasing decline in real term pay, but actually prevents members unhappy with this year’s campaign to propose a different strategy for 2015/16.
This Union resolves to:
· Censure the leadership for failing to consult branches and regions over the revised offer before calling off strike action.
· Ensure in the future that decision to suspend strike action must involve a consultation process involving Branches and Regions on an actual offer from the employer
Future Pay Consultation and Pay Proposals going forward
Notes:
· The current timetable for pay claims means that members wait several months for new pay deals to come into effect, hitting lowest-paid members hardest, and means lower-paid workers are more likely to accept whatever pay deal is offered at an earlier stage.
· Unison represents some of the lowest paid workers in Britain, for whom industrial action can cause significant loss in pay.
· Unison’s rules state that strike pay will not be awarded until the fourth day of strike action.
Resolves that:
· All future negotiations with the employer should involve lay elected representatives of the NJC
· Unison should begin its pay claim process earlier, and demand that employers respond to the union’s claim at least four months before any pay award is due to come into effect.
· Claims should be made annually and no settlement should be accepted for a period longer than one year.
· If employers fail to do this, Unison commits to launching a dispute to win the pay claim through industrial action.
· The question on the ballot paper should normally include strike action and action short of strike / work to rule unless a very clear mandate from branches and regions to do otherwise.
· Any offer made by the employer that is below the level in the NJC claim should be put to a workplace ballot before any action is suspended.
· To win any pay dispute including winning the commitment of our members to take action, we need a clear and transparent programme of action underpinned by a national commitment and preparation to resource and where necessary re-direct resources including an identified pot of money to fund industrial action
· Such a strategy should include:
o sustained and escalating programme of industrial action which moves beyond one-day strikes.
o begin with a two-day national strike, with the union announcing an ongoing timetable of action beyond this, with the dates for further strikes set and announced in advance, and including:
o Selective action involving groups of workers to maximise impact (e.g., parking inspectors, caretakers, revenue staff, etc.)
o Programmes of action-short-of-strikes in between national strike days, including a work-to-rule and overtime ban
o Attempts to coordinate where possible with other unions
o A commitment to coordinate and distribute hardship payments, levied from both branch and national funds
o Encouraging branches to convene local, cross-union strike committees to inform regional and national SGE strategy
Monday 26 January 2015
Motions to Unison Special Conference submitted by North West Region and some other branches
The 2014 - 16 NJC Pay Proposals
This Special Conference notes the 2014/15 NJC Pay Claim submitted on 5 November 2013 was for:
· A minimum increase of £1 an hour on scale point 5 to achieve the Living Wage and the same flat rate increase on all pay scale points.
This Special Conference also notes:s:
· The claim was based on the Living Wage rate outside London. The impact of a Living Wage related NJC sector-wide pay award is different for Greater London due to both the different (and higher) Living Wage hourly rate value and the separate London Weighting allowances.
· The 2014/15 NJC Pay Claim was adopted with the support of members, branches and Regions because it sought to address endemic low pay in local government, to halt further decline in real term NJC pay values and begin to restore the significant loss of real term pay values throughout the NJC pay spine.
· There was (and is) widespread understanding it would in all likelihood take more than one pay round to achieve these aims and objectives.
· The increase in the Living Wage rate since the claim was first submitted and a further increase to be applied from late 2015 (taking effect in April 2016) show starkly the current two-year NJC pay settlement puts us no closer to achieving any of the aims and objectives and the settlement both prolongs and deepens the problems for, at the very least, the further two-year period.
· Every cumulative inflation forecast for the full period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2016 demonstrates clearly the current two-year NJC pay settlement is yet another real term pay cut for the vast majority of NJC workers and does not address the massive reduction in real wages of the last few years.
This Special Conference agrees the widely supported and easily understood aims and objectives of the 2014/15 NJC Pay Claim remain just as relevant and even more pressing today.
This Special Conference further notes:
· It is expressed Government policy shared by all the ‘mainstream’ political parties that public sector pay restraint and the pay award cap will remain in place until at least 2017/18.
· None of the ‘mainstream’ political parties are publicly committed to removing the pay award cap and/or to a programme of restoring any of the lost real term value in NJC pay.
Submitted by North West Region Local Government Service Group
Decision To Cancel Strike Action On 14th October
This Special Conference believes the decision of the NJC Committee on 9th October to suspend the action planned for 14th October was a grave error which completely undermined the national campaign to secure a decent pay rise for Local Government members and an end to five years of real terms cuts in our member's living standards.
This led to complete confusion and dismay amongst both activists and members which was compounded by disbelief that a two year agreement had been entered into for a pittance above the 1% a year offer that was already on the table.
The decision to call off the strike due on 14th October 2014 was made on the basis of the revised offer following a negotiating meeting which did not involve any elected lay members of the NJC Committee.
The decision of the NJC Committee to tell members this proposal was the best that could be achieved by negotiation and that the only alternative was significant all out action was taken without any consultation whatsoever with Branches and Regions on the specific nature of the 2 year proposal.
Any decision to suspend strike action must involve a consultation process that is clear and transparent involving Branches and Regions which at a minimum is at least at the same level as the consultation process which agreed the claim
This Special Conference believes that such circumstances cannot be repeated if members are to have any confidence in the National UNISON leadership seriously addressing continual cuts in their earnings and living standards.
Submitted by North West Region Local Government Service Group
Future Pay Consultation Protocols
This Special Conference believes that the decision taken by the NJC Committee on 9th October 2014 was a complete denial of the intention and basis of the Local Government pay consultation protocol which sets out the need for extensive consultation with members.
Any decision to suspend strike action must involve a consultation process that is clear and transparent involving Branches and Regions which at a minimum is at least at the same level as the consultation process which agreed the claim.
This Special Conference instructs the Service Group Executive to amend the Local Government Pay consultation protocol to reflect this requirement in respect of future pay claims.
This Special Conference determines that with immediate effect there shall be no meetings held by employed UNISON officers with local government sector employer representatives without the involvement and presence of at least one elected lay representative of the relevant UNISON Local Government Sector Committee.
Submitted by North West Region Local Government Service Group
A Decent Pay Increase For Local Government Members
Member and activist confidence in the relevance, integrity and mutuality of the NJC bargaining machinery on a ‘sector-wide’ (cross-nation/whole nation) basis and UNISON’s role within it is at an all-time low.
In light of all the above this Special Conference agrees it is imperative that proactive engagement, campaigning and negotiations on NJC pay are reinstated now if we are serious about seeking to secure a fair and decent real term pay rise for NJC workers.
This Special Conference instructs the UNISON National Joint Council (NJC) Committee:
1. To formally submit the following to the NJC Employer’s body with immediate effect as an additional NJC Pay Claim for the 2015/16 pay round (to be implemented from the settlement date of 1 April 2015); The full-time equivalent (FTE) Living Wage rate to be the minimum pay value of the NJC pay spine. An equivalent flat rate pay increase to be applied to all other NJC pay scale points.
2. To communicate our position to the other NJC Trade Unions.
3. To work with NJC branches and regions/nations to identify and submit, as soon as possible, equivalent local, regional or national pay claims as appropriate for groups of members who have previously transferred out of local government and are currently outside the NJC pay bargaining machinery or other collective bargaining arrangements that cover pay awards.
This Special Conference believes all these measures are necessary to ensure UNISON demonstrates to all Local Government members this union, with our members support, is prepared to take strike action to secure fair pay no matter which Government is elected in May 2015.
Submitted by North West Region Local Government Service Group
This Special Conference notes the 2014/15 NJC Pay Claim submitted on 5 November 2013 was for:
· A minimum increase of £1 an hour on scale point 5 to achieve the Living Wage and the same flat rate increase on all pay scale points.
This Special Conference also notes:s:
· The claim was based on the Living Wage rate outside London. The impact of a Living Wage related NJC sector-wide pay award is different for Greater London due to both the different (and higher) Living Wage hourly rate value and the separate London Weighting allowances.
· The 2014/15 NJC Pay Claim was adopted with the support of members, branches and Regions because it sought to address endemic low pay in local government, to halt further decline in real term NJC pay values and begin to restore the significant loss of real term pay values throughout the NJC pay spine.
· There was (and is) widespread understanding it would in all likelihood take more than one pay round to achieve these aims and objectives.
· The increase in the Living Wage rate since the claim was first submitted and a further increase to be applied from late 2015 (taking effect in April 2016) show starkly the current two-year NJC pay settlement puts us no closer to achieving any of the aims and objectives and the settlement both prolongs and deepens the problems for, at the very least, the further two-year period.
· Every cumulative inflation forecast for the full period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2016 demonstrates clearly the current two-year NJC pay settlement is yet another real term pay cut for the vast majority of NJC workers and does not address the massive reduction in real wages of the last few years.
This Special Conference agrees the widely supported and easily understood aims and objectives of the 2014/15 NJC Pay Claim remain just as relevant and even more pressing today.
This Special Conference further notes:
· It is expressed Government policy shared by all the ‘mainstream’ political parties that public sector pay restraint and the pay award cap will remain in place until at least 2017/18.
· None of the ‘mainstream’ political parties are publicly committed to removing the pay award cap and/or to a programme of restoring any of the lost real term value in NJC pay.
Submitted by North West Region Local Government Service Group
Decision To Cancel Strike Action On 14th October
This Special Conference believes the decision of the NJC Committee on 9th October to suspend the action planned for 14th October was a grave error which completely undermined the national campaign to secure a decent pay rise for Local Government members and an end to five years of real terms cuts in our member's living standards.
This led to complete confusion and dismay amongst both activists and members which was compounded by disbelief that a two year agreement had been entered into for a pittance above the 1% a year offer that was already on the table.
The decision to call off the strike due on 14th October 2014 was made on the basis of the revised offer following a negotiating meeting which did not involve any elected lay members of the NJC Committee.
The decision of the NJC Committee to tell members this proposal was the best that could be achieved by negotiation and that the only alternative was significant all out action was taken without any consultation whatsoever with Branches and Regions on the specific nature of the 2 year proposal.
Any decision to suspend strike action must involve a consultation process that is clear and transparent involving Branches and Regions which at a minimum is at least at the same level as the consultation process which agreed the claim
This Special Conference believes that such circumstances cannot be repeated if members are to have any confidence in the National UNISON leadership seriously addressing continual cuts in their earnings and living standards.
Submitted by North West Region Local Government Service Group
Future Pay Consultation Protocols
This Special Conference believes that the decision taken by the NJC Committee on 9th October 2014 was a complete denial of the intention and basis of the Local Government pay consultation protocol which sets out the need for extensive consultation with members.
Any decision to suspend strike action must involve a consultation process that is clear and transparent involving Branches and Regions which at a minimum is at least at the same level as the consultation process which agreed the claim.
This Special Conference instructs the Service Group Executive to amend the Local Government Pay consultation protocol to reflect this requirement in respect of future pay claims.
This Special Conference determines that with immediate effect there shall be no meetings held by employed UNISON officers with local government sector employer representatives without the involvement and presence of at least one elected lay representative of the relevant UNISON Local Government Sector Committee.
Submitted by North West Region Local Government Service Group
A Decent Pay Increase For Local Government Members
Member and activist confidence in the relevance, integrity and mutuality of the NJC bargaining machinery on a ‘sector-wide’ (cross-nation/whole nation) basis and UNISON’s role within it is at an all-time low.
In light of all the above this Special Conference agrees it is imperative that proactive engagement, campaigning and negotiations on NJC pay are reinstated now if we are serious about seeking to secure a fair and decent real term pay rise for NJC workers.
This Special Conference instructs the UNISON National Joint Council (NJC) Committee:
1. To formally submit the following to the NJC Employer’s body with immediate effect as an additional NJC Pay Claim for the 2015/16 pay round (to be implemented from the settlement date of 1 April 2015); The full-time equivalent (FTE) Living Wage rate to be the minimum pay value of the NJC pay spine. An equivalent flat rate pay increase to be applied to all other NJC pay scale points.
2. To communicate our position to the other NJC Trade Unions.
3. To work with NJC branches and regions/nations to identify and submit, as soon as possible, equivalent local, regional or national pay claims as appropriate for groups of members who have previously transferred out of local government and are currently outside the NJC pay bargaining machinery or other collective bargaining arrangements that cover pay awards.
This Special Conference believes all these measures are necessary to ensure UNISON demonstrates to all Local Government members this union, with our members support, is prepared to take strike action to secure fair pay no matter which Government is elected in May 2015.
Submitted by North West Region Local Government Service Group
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