ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL

SINGLE STATUS

Aberdeenshire Council intend to implement the Single Status Agreement on 1 January 2007. In order to achieve this there is a timescale that must be followed.

Consultation on the proposals and what is means to you, the staff, will begin on 21 August 2006. The consultation period will run for 6 weeks. Aberdeenshire Council plans to hold briefing sessions throughout Aberdeenshire and at many workplaces.

UNISON also intends to hold meetings throughout Aberdeenshire. This will be your chance to let us know your views. Details of these meetings will be sent out in due course.

UNISON will then ballot members on the proposals during the final 2 weeks of the consultation period.

On 1 October 2006 you will be issued with a formal notification of change of contract – this will give you 3 month’s notice of any changes to your post. You should be given information on how your post has been evaluated and, if any, what changes there will be to your job description, that is, "job redesign" in order that your current pay level can be maintained.

Negotiations are still ongoing with the trade unions and the Council and will continue throughout the consultation process so that any comments/issues identified by employees can be taken on board.

Even though we are at a late stage in the negotiations there is still vital work to do. The whole package of proposals needs to be checked for equality, that is, jobs of equal value are paid the same, whether or not they are typically male or female jobs. This is being done by an independent equal pay expert.

If the independent expert finds major flaws with the Council’s proposals, then it is possible that the timescales for implementing Single Status may change – this will be to allow further work to be done.

UNISON’s legal department will also look at the proposals – this is to assist UNISON Aberdeenshire make its recommendation on the Council’s proposals to our members.

We will keep you informed of the progress.

PLEASE REMEMBER

Although Aberdeenshire Council has made a compensatory offer in respect of equal pay to some groups of female workers – there may still be potential equal pay claims that could arise from the implementation of Single Status. The law states that any claim for equal pay must be lodged at Employment Tribunal within 6 months (minus one day) from the end/change of a contract. So, if you retire/leave/change contract – please get in touch with the office as soon as possible.

Aberdeenshire UNISON
Contact us on 01224 620624
aberdeenshire@unison.co.uk
www.aberdeenshireunison.com

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