UNISON LG CONFERENCE Brighton| June 2014 LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY ACROSS THE UK NJC AND SJC DOUGLAS BLACK AND HEATHER WAKEFIELD

UNISON LG CONFERENCEBrighton| June 2014

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY ACROSS THE UKNJC AND SJC

DOUGLAS BLACK AND

HEATHER WAKEFIELD


WHY THIS PRESENTATION?• SET THE CONTEXT FOR CURRENT DISPUTES• … AND THE FOLLOWING PAY DEBATE• HIGHLIGHT THE BIG PAY ISSUES• LOCATE THEM IN A WIDER AND LONGER-TERM

PERSPECTIVE• SUGGEST WAYS FORWARD FOR BOTH BARGAINING

GROUPS • JOINT STRATEGY WHERE POSSIBLE


THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTWORKFORCE - SCOTLAND

• 247,000 IN 2013• PEAK OF 325,200 IN 2006• 79% OF PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS HAVE COME FROM

LOCAL GOVERNMENT• LARGEST PART OF PUBLIC SECTOR – 44% OF ALL

PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES• WOMEN 71% IN 2013• 55% PART-TIME – MAJORITY WOMEN


THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE – ENGLAND, WALES, NI

• 1.6 MILLION

• OVER 400,000 JOBS GONE

• 77% WOMEN IN 2013

• 61% JOBS PART-TIME

• 91% PART-TIME WORKERS WOMEN

• MULTIPLE JOB HOLDERS

• UNDEREMPLOYMENT


THE BIG ISSUES• POVERTY PAY AND LOW PAY FOR ALL • CUTS AND REDUNDANCIES • RE-ORGANISATION AND PRIVATISATION• PUBLIC SECTOR ‘REFORM’• ‘MARKET’ PAY BECOMING BENCHMARK• TWO-TIER CODE GONE (ENGLAND)• WORKFORCE OVERLOOKED/NOT CONSULTED • COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FRAGMENTING


IMPACT ON BOTH WORKFORCES• 18%+ DECLINE IN NJC PAY SINCE 2010• 480,000 NJC WORKERS BELOW LIVING WAGE • 13% DECLINE IN SJC PAY SINCE 2010• CUTS TO CONDITIONS• EQUAL PAY OVERLOOKED• PART-TIME WORKERS EXPLOITED• UNPAID OVERTIME• LOW UNION DENSITY


NJC PAY SINCE 1996


UK SURVEY – HOT OFF THE PRESS!• 85% SAY WORKLOAD AND PRESSURE UP • 70% SAY STRESS AFFECTING PERSONAL LIFE• 40% STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET• 87% CUT PERSONAL/ENTERTAINMENT SPEND • 77% HAVE CUT SPENDING ON FOOD• DEBT INCREASED FOR ALMOST 60%• 94% SAY ‘RECOVERY’ BENEFITTING WELL-OFF• 94% SAY PAY OFFERS UNFAIR/DEEPLY UNFAIR


NEW PART-TIME WORKERS SURVEY• 20% PT AS NO FULL-TIME JOBS• 40% TO JUGGLE FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES• 75% BELOW UK MEDIAN EARNINGS IN 2013• 60% WORK REGULAR UNPAID OVERTIME• LONGEST HOURS SLASHED SINCE 2010• DOING FULL-TIME WORK ON PART-TIME PAY• MASSIVE CUTS TO CONDITIONS• 27% RECEIVED NO TRAINING


SJC BARGAINING ISSUES• REVERSE THE DECLINE IN PAY WITH A LONGER

TERM PAY STRATEGY

• CONSOLIDATION OF LIVING WAGE

• SEEK TO PROTECT JOBS AND SERVICES

• CONCLUDE JOB EVALUATION REVIEW

• EQUAL PAY

• IMPROVE NATIONAL AGREEMENT


NJC BARGAINING ISSUES• PUT PRESSURE ON NEW LABOUR LGA• GET LIVING WAGE AS LOWEST RATE FOR ALL• REVERSE DECLINE IN EARNINGS• STOP CUTS TO CONDITIONS• ENSURE JE/EQUAL PAY ONGOING• ACTION FOR PART-TIME WORKERS• ‘GENDER AGENDA’ INCLUDING TRAINING AND FAMILY

FRIENDLY CONDITIONS


COMMON OBJECTIVES• NEED ‘NEW DEAL’ WITH EMPLOYERS

• NEW COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS THAT ‘STICK’?

• STRONG/EFFECTIVE BARGAINING STRUCTURES

• PAY AND CONDITIONS = TO OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR GROUPS

• EQUAL PAY AND EQUALITIES TO BE CENTRAL

• WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

• EFFECTIVE AND CO-ORDINATED LOCAL, SECTOR AND UK INDUSTRIAL ACTION


BUILDING UNISON STRENGTH• BUILD DENSITY AND ORGANISATION FOR INCREASED

BARGAINING POWER…• AND EFFECTIVE INDUSTRIAL ACTION• IN CONTRACTED-OUT AREAS AND ACADEMIES• … AND IN PART-TIME WORK AREAS• ENSURE RMS REGULARLY UPDATED• TRAINING IN FINANCE AND THE ‘ALTERNATIVE’ TO

GIVE CONFIDENCE

Documents

UNISON LG CONFERENCE Brighton| June 2014 LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY ACROSS THE UK NJC AND SJC DOUGLAS BLACK AND HEATHER WAKEFIELD