UNISON Aberdeenshire Branch Campaign
Equal Pay
Description of campaign
Who?
The campaign was co-ordinated by a group of key branch officers,
Bob Revie, Branch Secretary, Kate Ramsden, Branch Chair, Inez Teece
and Bill Edwards, Assistant Secretaries, along with the Regional
Organiser, Emma Phillips and with the assistance of Lynne Duncan,
secretarial support.
Why?
Branch negotiators were involved in negotiating equal pay compensation
for low paid, manual, mainly women workers whose jobs had been evaluated
as equivalent to men who had been paid bonus payments.
For some time the Branch had been informing members about equal
pay and advising low paid women who were about to change jobs, contracts
or to retire, to get in touch with UNISON. We were aware that Aberdeenshire
Council was about to make offers of compensation to affected staff
on the basis of a compromise agreement. We identified a need to
inform members of this and of UNISON's position in respect of the
offer, especially as it was looking unlikely that UNISON would be
able to recommend this offer to our members.
We wanted to ensure that members were aware of their right to equal
pay, and the support they could get from the union to pursue claims.
We were aware that the branch was under-represented by stewards
in these low paid women areas and we wanted to encourage members
in these areas to become more active. We also saw it as an opportunity
to raise the union's profile amongst non-members and to attract
new members to UNISON.
index
top
How?
We held a meeting on 3rd May 2006 to plan the campaign. We were
aware that the Council planned to have signing events all around
the authority and we identified the following plan of action.
- UNISON should have a presence of at least 2 activists at each
signing day, one of whom should be one of the planning group,
all of whom had attended UNISON Scotland training on Equal Pay.
- We would seek volunteers from amongst our stewards at the next
Branch Committee on 4th May, and invite those interested along
to a Briefing session on 19th May. This would be organised and
facilitated by the Regional Organiser, Emma Phillips and the Branch
Development Officer, Betty Lyon.
- An Equal Pay Briefing would be issued to advise members on
the current position.
- It was identified that an additional form was needed to supplement
the Case Form and this would be drawn up.
- Once the Council had made their offer and the branch had reached
a position on it, a further meeting would be held.
At a further meeting on 18th May it was noted that the Council
intended to send out letters making offers of compensation w/b 22nd
May. However, the compromise agreement was such that UNISON had
no choice but to advise members to reject the offer as it forced
employees to sign away all their rights to any other equal pay claims
they may have had, up until 1st Jan 2007.
We identified the following plan of action at that time.
- An Equal Pay Briefing would be drawn up and sent out to all
members along with UNISON's position and a fact sheet.
- A press release would be drawn up and issued as Aberdeenshire
Council sent out their offers. This was picked up and used in
the local press.
- A procedure for dealing with Equal Pay claims within the branch
was discussed and agreed.
An activists' Briefing was held in the UNISON Resource Centre on
19th May attended by 6 stewards in addition to the core group of
4 branch officers. The purpose of this was to brief these activists
on equal pay generally; to explain the purpose of a compromise agreement;
to look at the basis of the Aberdeenshire offer and why the branch
is rejecting this; and to identify questions which may be asked
of UNISON at signing days. This subsequently became a helpful aid
for the signing events.
We also used the Briefing to identify activists to attend each
of the 19 signing events.
The signing events were held throughout June. We met our target
of having a UNISON presence of 2 activists at each of the signing
days. We were clearly visible and available to those attending the
events. A great many members and non-members alike approached us
for advice. Application forms were distributed around the seating
areas and a number of non-members took these away or completed them
on the day.
Follow up signing days were held in September, and again UNISON
activists were in attendance to provide advice and support.
next
index
top
|
