Pension age change another blow to public sector workers, says UNISON

Commenting on the government’s announcement that it plans to bring forward the rise in pension age from 67 to 68 by seven years, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “This will be another bitter blow for public sector workers who’s workplace retirement is also linked to the state pension.

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Jeremy Corbyn thanks UNISON members

Jeremy Corbyn speaks exclusively to UNISON members ahead of his speech to UNISON's national delegate conference 2017

New Stewards Network & Training Day 2017

Pay ballot result

Following the recent consultation on the new pay deal for 2018 till 2021, please find below the ballot result.

Turnout was 53%

For = 93.2%

Against = 6.8%

We will now work with Oxford City Council to implement the new Local Agreement on Pay & Conditions for April 2018 till March 2021

Statutory sick pay

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New pay deal agreed? Time to have your say.

CONSULTATIVE BALLOT

New Local Agreement on Pay & Conditions for April 2018 – March 2021

As you may be aware, we have been in negotiations on a new pay deal. The five year Collective Agreement we signed up for last time is coming to an end on the 31^st March 2018. Unison has been working hard with the Council to try and improve on what we achieved in the last deal.

We started discussions last September with a view to reinstating our terms and conditions, that was given up in order to help the Council through austerity and to ensure that we retained as many jobs as possible without the need for the cuts that other authorities have had to endure. As a trade union it was important for us to look at our low paid members and with these members in mind we decided it would be better to propose a Cost of Living lump sum payment, which would give these workers a bigger boost to their salary (more detail below.)

We are pleased to tell you we have come to an agreement in principal with the Council subject to a ballot which we are recommending to you.

This new agreement reintroduces weekend enhancements for all employees which you may remember it was only existing employees that retained the right to these payments. We negotiated hard for the lump sum and of course we didn’t achieve what we first wanted but we did find a compromise that suited both parties. We have been given assurances there will not be any compulsory redundancies if we sign up to this new agreement. The issue of low pay has gone a long way to being addressed, by giving our lowest paid members on SCP 17 an increase of 3.14% in year 1, this would vary for each SCP point, and in years 2 and 3.

This agreement will mean our pay will again be set locally in Oxford and the Council will budget for a £7.6m increase in its pay bill by the end of the agreement period. This is a 17% rise in total pay at a time when many local councils, are preparing to cut their pay budgets. The Council can afford this because of careful financial planning and the achievement of significant efficiency savings that you have helped to achieve.

We believe this agreement gives our members a guaranteed cost of living increase for the next three years and the opportunity for additional pay through an increment in October 2019 subject to performance and attendance levels.

The Agreement

The agreement covers a 3-year period – from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2021. The reason for a 3 year agreement is so the Council can again have certainty about its budget for the next 3 years, but this also means we will also know where we stand. We did not want the pay deal to be any longer than 3 years because we don’t know what the effect of Brexit will be on Local Government.

Cost of Living Rise

There will either be a lump sum cost of living award of £575 in year 1and £500 in each of years 2 and 3 or a 1.25% increase per annum, whichever is the greater in that year  for all Oxford City Council staff, effective from 1st April 2018.  The lump sum payment will be consolidated into each pay grade on the 1^st of April of each year. This is a great achievement for Unison to help our lower paid employees, and will hopefully lead the way for other councils to follow.

Incremental progression

This agreement still retains one more Increment, and still gives all employees a cost of living rise annually. For National Joint Council (NJC) employees, who are not at the top of the pay scale of each pay grade, will be eligible, providing they meet the criteria below for an increment on 1st October 2019 to the next SCP point within that grade.

The bottom spinal column point will be removed from each Grade on 1st October 2019, this will then leave us with just two SCP points. The criteria to be eligible for an increment is at least a GOOD appraisal rating and an acceptable level of attendance which is defined as less than 10 days absence for the year (pro rata for part-time workers).

Oxford City Council Living Wage

On 1st April 2018 employees on the bottom SCP point of Grade 3 will be paid no less than £9.78 per hour, this is higher than the London Living wage. By 1^st October 2019 if these employees are successful in obtaining an increment they and any one joining the council from October 2019 on a Grade 3 will be paid no less than £10.13 per hour in that year. After the cost of living rise in April 2020, Oxford City Council’s Living Wage will be no less than £10.40 far exceeding any current living wage. UNISON and Oxford City Council are leading the way yet again, with good partnership working.

Craft workers

Craft workers will continue with their 3-spot productivity-based scheme and will be eligible for the cost of living rise albeit the lump sum which will be consolidated or 1.25% whichever is the greater and a final partnership payment in July 2018.

Partnership payment

The partnership payment will be removed under the new pay deal. When we were discussing the Partnership Payment, it became very clear that management wanted to apply a far more severe criterion for staff to be eligible for the payment.  In effect, this would mean  far less people would receive the payment. In the end, we felt it would be better spent on getting people an improved cost of living rise and not a one off payment which is not added to your salary.

Just to be clear Under the Collective Agreement 2013/18 deal, a final Partnership Payment will be made to those employees eligible in July 2018 covering the period 1st April 2017 to 31st  March 2018.

Weekend Enhancement

The current enhanced rates of pay are set at 1.33 and 1.66 and will be reinstated for all employees including all new starters for the duration of this agreement; the hourly rates will continue to increase with the cost of living awards and any incremental progression.

Travel Concessions

The Council will continue to fund a 20% discount Up-to an amount to those employees using an annual season ticket for travel to work on buses and trains

Cycle to Work Scheme

The tax efficient cycle loan/purchase scheme will be continued

Annual leave and Flex days

There will be no change to the amount of annual leave given to employees. The concession to allow employees to buy up to a further 24 days leave per year will remain and in the last month of the leave year you will be able to carry over up to 5 days to the next year

and rep

Should we return to National Pay Awards?

There is currently a National Pay Cap of 1% in Local Government until 31 March 2020.  Oxford City Council’s SCP points are currently higher than the national pay points. If we were to opt back into National Pay Bargaining, we would most likely face a pay freeze until the national SCP points caught up with us, which could be April 2020.  This would mean we would get NO Cost of Living rise for at least 2 years.

If during the time of this pay deal there is a change in Government with a promise to remove the 1% Pay Cap for Public Sector workers, the NJC would need to achieve a 10% pay increase during a 3 year period to enable them to catch up with Oxford City Council’s SCP points. So as you can see, we have exceeded the nationally agreed deals. We are not overjoyed about this, as all Public Sector workers deserve a decent pay award. By us doing this we hope that others will follow in our example.

What happens next - Work-place Ballot

Attached to this, you will notice there is a ballot paper. Ballot boxes will be positioned on each floor in St. Aldates Chambers and one by reception in the Town Hall.  Direct Services Stewards will be hand delivering Ballot Papers to each of their members at Horspath Rd Depot and Cowley Marsh, for members to receive their Ballot papers and submit their vote In the Ballot box provided.  The Ballot will   commence from the week of the 3rd July 2017, and the close of the ballot will be noon on Friday 14th July 2017.

Alternatively, you can hand deliver your ballot papers to the Unison Office, in Oxford Town Hall. The result will be announced by Tuesday the 18th July 2017. 

Should any of you be on leave during this period,  please contact us as soon as possible here in the Unison Office in the Town Hall Tel 01865 252522 or 252672 or by emailing or speaking to your local Unison Rep for your area.

UNISON is recommending this pay deal to all members and would strongly encourage all members to use their vote and vote YES

On behalf of UNISON Branch Committee

Help at work

How to Get Help

UNISON can help you in many ways, both at work and at home. If you are not sure who you should contact for help, or where to find the information that you need, this section will help you find it.

Help from your branch

Your workplace representative, or rep, can help you with a variety of issues at work and offer additional sources of advice and support in the first instance member should Email office@oxfordcityunison.com

UNISONdirect

UNISONdirect is our dedicated call centre for member queries. Call 0800 0 857 857 between 6am-midnight Monday-Friday and 9am-4pm Saturdays.

The freephone textphone number is 0800 0967 968.

Dealing with workplace issues

Members who have a workplace issue including advice or representation for a disciplinary hearing, grievance proceedings or a matter of employment law should first contact a local UNISON steward. All members seeking advice need to fill in a case form and send to their branch.

Personal Injury Surgeries

Whatever life throws at you, we'll help to protect you.

UNISON legal service provides free legal advice from Thompsons - solicitors who are experts in the field of personal injury law.

The legal surgery covers any injury claim, in work and out of work. Whatever the accident or disease, ranging from road traffic accidents, slips, trips, and falls, industrial deafness, asbestos-related conditions, vibration white finger and repetitive strain injury, it is all covered.

For upcoming dates and information on booking, please see the South East Region website Events page.

UNISON Welfare - There For You

There for You is UNISON’s Welfare charity which provides a unique and confidential service to our members. This service includes financial assistance, wellbeing breaks and general advice. There for you also runs a Debtline, providing free, impartial and confidential debt advice over the phone as well as an online version called Debt Clinic.

There For You website