New Guidelines on College Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures

The six trades unions representing members in English FE collges have reached agreement with the Association of Colleges on guidelines for updated local grievance and disciplinary procedures. These take account of new arrangements for dealing with grievances and disciplinary problems following repeal of the statutory dispute procedures.

David Green, AMiE Director of Employment Services said, “These new guidelines  give us a workable framework for resolving individual problems in local colleges. “

Copies of the new agreements, together with the recently agreed guidelines for regulating working time,  can be downloaded from the AMiE website.

2.3% Rise Offered To Welsh Colleges

Fforwm, the organisation representing FE colleges in Wales has tabled a 2.3% pay rise for 2009-10 in response to the joint union claim. However, because the organisation says they have no mandate to negotiate on national terms and conditions, the offer has for now at least, been rejected by the joint union side while they seek a form of words from Fforwm that would allow both sides to discuss, in a positive manner, what model terms and conditions could look like in the sector.

A commitment to negotiate national terms and conditions is something the joint unions have been seeking for some time but so far, without success. However, the Welsh Assembly Government appears to be positive about talks regarding national conditions of service so political pressure may yet bring about a solution. With this in mind the joint unions are seeking a meeting with the minister, John Griffiths.

AMiE Wales Officer, Brian Thornton said, “The pay offer is welcome, but with discussions on national conditions of service promised by Fforwm following the Webb report; and with support for this from the minister, we need to make progress on this issue as well. The school sector has the protection of national conditions of service – we seek parity with this sector.”

Fforwm have conducted their own research on conditions of service across Wales and the unions have asked them to share the results. Brian added, “With the transformation agenda underway there are a number of advantages to having common terms and conditions, not least when colleges merge.”

Five Unions Accept Pay Offer For English Colleges

All the English NJF unions other than UCU have now accepted the Association of Colleges (AoC) final offer of a 1.5% pay increase from 1 August. UCU delegates attending a special conference to consider the offer said that it fell short of the pay award given to school teachers and so could not be accepted. They will now ballot members on taking industrial action.

The AoC have subsequently advised colleges of the position and in a briefing to principals say that this is their final recommendation. It remains to be seen whether colleges now implement the award or whether they await the outcome of the UCU ballot.

The unions accepting the offer are ACM, ATL, Unison, Unite and GMB.

Breastfeeding At Work

Maternity Action has produced an information sheet on women’s rights to continue breastfeeding on return to work.  This outlines women’s options for continuing breastfeeding on their return to work, their legal rights and how to negotiate with their employer.  It includes contact details for organisations which can provide further assistance.

The information sheet provides invaluable help for women contemplating the return to work and those already negotiating with their employer.

Unions, voluntary organisations, statutory organisations and others are welcome to use and distribute the information sheet, which is available to download from the Maternity Action website: www.maternityaction.org.uk

School Teachers: 2.3% Rise Confirmed

Commenting on yesterday’s  announcement from the School Teachers Review Body (STRB)  on pay for teachers, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of our AMiE partner, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

“We are glad that common sense has prevailed and Ed Balls has accepted the STRB’s view that teacher should get a 2.3% pay rise in 2009 and in 2010, as initially recommended in January 2008.

“We are pleased Ed Balls has honoured the pay commitment he made to ATL members at our annual conference in April, and not bowed to pressure to use teachers’ pay as a political football.

“ATL will continue to fight for teachers to be rewarded fairly, not only during a recession but also when the economy picks up and graduates have a far greater choice of careers.”

Anger As Employers Fail To Increase Pay Offer

The six further education trade unions – the Association for College Management (ACM), the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the GMB, the University and College Union (UCU), UNISON and UNITE – today (Wednesday) accused college employers of breaking their promise over staff pay. The unions said that the Association of Colleges (AoC) had failed to improve on its 1% pay offer for staff in further education in England, despite indicating it would come back with a better deal at the previous meeting.

In April the further education trade unions submitted a 6% pay claim for 2009/2010 with a minimum increase of £2,000 for the lowest paid. Further education staff have a crucial role to play in tackling the recession, as people seek to refresh their skills to gain new employment. The unions are urging the employers to come back to the negotiating table with the promised improved offer.

Barry Lovejoy, joint secretary of the trade union side and UCU head of further education said: “This offer at a stroke has halted progress in reducing the gap between school teachers and staff in further education. All the good the work that has gone into narrowing the inequality between college lecturers’ pay and school teachers’ pay could quickly unravel. Colleges are at the heart of our communities, enriching people’s lives, delivering high quality education and providing the backbone for the government’s skills agenda. Staff deserve to be paid a fair wage and not to be treated with such contempt by their employers. The employers need to improve the pay offer and come back for more talks immediately.”

Chris Fabby, joint secretary of the trade union side and UNISON national officer for further education said: “This offer means just 5p per hour more for many of our members. It will go nowhere near helping them to cope with the still high cost of food and fuel as winter sets in. The employers need to get back round the table and come up with a more realistic offer. We have told them time and time again, but it still rings true: you can’t run a world class education system on poverty pay.”

FE Pay Offer Rejected

The six further education unions, ACM, ATL, GMB, UCU, UNISON and UNITE*, representing 250,000 staff working in colleges in England have formally rejected an offer of 1% from the employers’ association, the Association of Colleges (AoC). The offer also did not include any underpinning, which would guarantee a minimum salary rise for the lowest paid workers in English colleges.

The unions submitted a ‘catch up and match up’ claim of 6% with a guaranteed £2000 rise for the lowest paid staff to compensate for years of below average pay rises and to bring college staff pay in line with comparable professions.

Barry Lovejoy, joint secretary of the trade union negotiating side and UCU head of further education, said: “We have heard lots of rhetoric about the value all political parties place on further education and its ability to get the lives of people suffering in the recession back on track.

“However, yet again, the employers have chosen to completely undermine the sector’s chance of really making that difference. Now, more than ever, we need staff to be fairly remunerated for the crucial work they will play in helping the country get back on its feet. The message to the employers is clear – go back, think again and come back with a decent pay offer.”

ACM and AMiE general secretary Peter Pendle said, “FE staff face a challenging future. If we are to continue delivering a quality service then staff must be properly rewarded. We will be pressing the AoC to come back with an improved offer.”

Joint Trade union side secretary and UNISON national officer for FE, Chris Fabby said: “This offer is not enough to help our members working in FE cope with the high cost of food and fuel in the tough year ahead. It is a huge disappointment that there is no underpinning. The security of a minimum salary uplift is really important to the lowest paid workers as 1% of nothing will always mean nothing.”

English FE Unions Submit Pay Claim

The six FE trade unions in England are today submitting their claim for a 6% increase in pay for the next pay year (2009/2010), underpinned by a  £2000 lump sum  for the lowest paid . The catch-up claim covers over 250,000 further education workers  including managers, lecturers, learning support staff, cleaners,  caterers, librarians, security and laboratory technicians.

The unions believe that further education workers are at the heart of tackling the recession, as people seek to refresh skills to gain new employment.

Further education staff work some of the longest hours in the UK, but are among the worst paid in the public sector. Lecturers working in further education earn, on average, 6% less than school teachers. Yet 92% of staff work beyond their contracted hours .

Barry Lovejoy, joint trade union side secretary from the University and College Union, said: “With millions of adults looking to retrain during the economic downturn, further education staff have never been more important to this country. It’s time we invested in their skills and paid them a fair wage for the sterling work they do. They work some of the longest hours in the country, yet their pay has risen at a much slower rate than the cost of living. This pay claim goes someway to addressing that shortfall.”

Chris Fabby, joint trade union side secretary and UNISON national officer, said: “A six percent rise will mean approximately £13 extra per week for the average cleaner working in Further education. This is not enough to help workers cope with the cost of everyday essentials such as food and fuel, which are still running high. The lowest paid staff need the protection that a minimum salary uplift gives them.

“The government have spent billions bailing out the bankers. We are not asking for billions. We are just calling for a decent wage increase for some of the lowest paid public sector workers in the public sector.”

Peter Pendle, Vice Chair of the trade union side and AMiE general secretary said, “We are pleased to be supporting the joint pay claim.  We recognise the difficult financial situation faced by colleges because of the capital funding and 16-19 funding allocation fiascos, but we all believe this is a realistic and reasonable claim.  We hope that Association of Colleges  and its members will give it very serious consideration.”

FE Unions Step Up Pay Campaign

With a significant number of colleges refusing to meet the pay award negotiated at the National Joint Forum, the six unions are stepping up their campaign with the launch of a new website (see below).

The pay award, which affects staff working in English FE colleges, is for 3.2% or £550, whichever is greater; and runs for 10 months from October 2008.

David Green, AMiE’s Director of Employment Services said, “Although many colleges have paid the agreed rise, there are a number who haven’t. Our campaign is designed to bring the unwilling to the negotiating table in order to agree how the national deal can be implemented.”

Visit the Time To Pay Up website for background information, action points and resources.

Don’t Make Workers Foot Bill For Snow Disruption

As workers struggle into work during recent snowstorms, the TUC has said people should not attempt to travel if it is not safe to do so.

Where possible, the TUC says employers should contact staff to advise them about getting into work. They should also take care that workers do not get trapped at work or put at risk if the weather gets worse. By the same token, workers should also let their employers know if they are not able to make it into work.

For those struggling with their commute, working from home is a useful alternative as long as it is technically feasible to do so, says the TUC.

Despite the heroic efforts of millions to get into work, the bad weather and lack of public transport have prevented many people from working. While there is no general legal right to be paid if you do not come into work, many companies have ‘bad weather’ policies so that employees who are kept away from work are still paid.

For those employers who don’t have ‘bad weather’ policies, the TUC advises that it would be bad practise not to pay staff or force them to take holiday as this would cause resentment among those have been kept away from work through no fault of their own.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Across the country, people have been braving the elements to get into work. Employers and workers must keep each other informed as to whether it’s safe, or even possible, to commute to and from work.

“But for many the bad weather and lack of public transport have made their commute impossible. Good employers will already have ‘bad weather’ policies so that those who are unable to work are still paid.

“Bosses that dock pay and take away holiday will add to their business woes by creating resentment among staff. Workers who have been prevented from working through no fault of their own should not have to foot the bill for the bad weather conditions. Instead we urge all employers to look after their staff during these adverse weather conditions.”