UNISON ABERDEENSHIRE BRANCH
UPDATE ON ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL AND SINGLE
STATUS
UNISON has had further meetings with Aberdeenshire Council and
has received a package of information. However, the proposals provided
to us are lacking vital information.
The Council has shared a proposed new job structure and set of
basic wages. What we do not have is the information i.e. the job
evaluation scores to say where all the posts fit into the pay structure.
This means we are unable to check if the proposed grade structures
are acceptable. UNISON made it clear to Aberdeenshire Council that
we cannot negotiate on issues without facts.
Guidance was issued by the umbrella organisation of Councils and
Trade Unions, the Scottish Joint Council (SJC). This organisation
provides advice to councils across Scotland about council matters
including Single Status.
Below is an extract of the advice “Agenda for Discussion To promote
local negotiation and ensure that single status is as open and transparent
as possible and to foster an environment of high trust the following
issues should form part of these discussions. The list is not exhaustive.
- The sharing of Job Evaluation data with signatory trade union
representatives in as meaningful and as full a way as possible at
the earliest practical opportunity……..”
As a result of Aberdeenshire Council failing to give UNISON vital
information and failing to follow the SJC advice, we have registered
a “failure to agree” and written to the SJC. This means, at the
present time, we feel unable to continue with negotiations.
We have asked the SJC to encourage Aberdeenshire Council to comply
with the guidance they are signed up to. Normally in the negotiation
process, we issue joint communications with the Council.
It is hoped we will be in a position to do this in the future when
the Council provide the appropriate information. In the meantime,
we will continue to communicate with UNISON members on a regular
basis. We hope that future communications on Single Status will
be more positive.
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