Aberdeenshire UNISON
       
 
 

UPDATE 15th SEPTEMBER 2006

ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL SINGLE STATUS

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Aberdeenshire Council is in the process of issuing single status information to its staff. You will have received, or soon will, a pack which will give you information about what single status will mean for you and your job(s).

Aberdeenshire Council and the trade unions have agreed a six week consultation period where you will be given information and your views will be sought.

  • The Council will hold service briefings where you will be given information.

  • The Council will set up a helpline for your queries and will also arrange a meeting for you should you so wish.

  • UNISON will hold a series of meetings throughout Aberdeenshire to listen to your views and questions.

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These are as follows:

  • Stonehaven Friday 22nd September Upper Town Hall
  • Fraserburgh Monday 25th September Dalrymple Hall, Room 1
  • Peterhead Wednesday 27th September Arbuthnott House, Council Chamber
  • Macduff Friday 29th September Town Hall, Room 5
  • Inverurie Monday 2nd October Town Hall, Small Hall
  • Ellon Tuesday 3rd October Kirk Centre, Slains Room
  • Aberdeen Friday 6th October Woodhill House Annexe, Marr Room

Please come along and let us know what you think about these proposals. Please check with you line manager if you intend to come along during your working day. We will be at each location from 12 noon to 6 p.m.

  • Later in this consultation period we will be writing formally to you again to seek your views.

Although Aberdeenshire Council is asking you to fill in a questionnaire about your views this is NOT a formal vote. ONLY the ballot by trade unions will determine whether the proposal is acceptable for a collective agreement. Click here for an application form that you can pass on to a colleague so that their voice can be heard too.

Single status is a complicated issue that affects the majority of Aberdeenshire Council’s staff. As with all changes there are some good and bad points. We have summarised these below.

There remain a number of questions still unanswered. If you have a query about you and your job(s) firstly please contact Aberdeenshire Council’s helpline. If you are unable to get an answer to your query please contact us on 01224 620624 or email: aberdeenshire@unison.co.uk, or come along to one of our meetings where UNISON will be able to listen to you and help you through the process.

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ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL

SINGLE STATUS

PROS AND CONS

PROS

  • Aberdeenshire have invested a lot of money
  • They have stated they want a happy/contented workforce
  • They do not want to see people losing money
  • The majority of people are going up/staying the same
  • Some jobs will have a chance of redesign in order to maintain or increase earnings
  • An even application of pay points and the same terms and conditions apply to all workers
  • The pay model has been partially independently checked for equality

CONS

  • There has been a lack of involvement of job holders in this process
  • The Council do not intend to give you your job evaluation score
  • The independent Equality Assessment did not cover all of our issues
  • The Equality Assessment said that if only those jobs going down were reviewed, this would not be lawful. As a result all jobs could be reviewed again. This means your grade and job could change
  • There has been a reduction in the rate for working at weekends
  • There are reduced overtime rates
  • Unsocial hour rates have been cut
  • The number of public holidays has reduced although an additional leave day will be added
  • We believe these changes may disproportionately affect some workers

OTHER ISSUES

    • The job families are based on a general overview rather than the actual job. This means we are not certain that your job has or will be evaluated appropriately.
    • Everyone who uses a car will get access to the car allowance lump sum. The changes in the scheme may mean that some get a reduced payment.
    • The appeals process is still under discussion. The current proposal is not acceptable.
    • You may be asked again in the near future to agree changes to your job and wages
    • There remain equality issues unchecked by the independent assessor and we await a time table for these to be checked. Single Status was supposed to address equality issues therefore this is very important.

 

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