A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS The multi-year proposed agreement Contents: Context Negotiations The agreement UNISON policy.

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

The multi-year proposed agreement

Contents:

•Context

•Negotiations

•The agreement

•UNISON policy

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

Context (1)

2007/8 pay settlement

UNISON health conference policy:Abolition of band 1

Flat rate increases for low paid workers

Reduction in incremental points

Reduction in working week

Target minimum wage £6.75 (NDC)

NHS Pay Review Body evidence

Economic climate: tightening of public finances

RPI – current 3.8% (March) forecast 2.9% (end 2008) 2.5% (2009)

CPI – current 2.5% (March)

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

Context (2)

Government public sector pay policy

2% per annum for each of the three years of the CSR

Other PRB pay settlements:Armed forces: 2.6%

Prison officers: 2.2%

Hospital doctors: 2.2%

Teachers (Eng & Wales): 2.45%(2008); 2.3% (2009); 2.3% (2010)

Teachers (Scotland): 2.25%(2008); 2.5% (2009); 2.4% (2010)

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

Negotiations

Negotiating body Staff Council Executive members plus extra seats for Scotland and Wales

Included: UNISON; RCN; Unite: RCM; CSP and GMB

Staff side objectives:TU facilities agreement

Restructuring of long pay bands and appropriate structure at lower end

Break 2% pay threshold

Reduction in working week

Future of IWL

Major obstacle:Government CSR pay threshold

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

Negotiations (cont’d)

Commenced September 2007

Initial progress on TU facilities agreement

No progress on pay

First ‘offer’ – January 2008:7% over three years:

2.45%; 2.2%; 2.2% (not including restructuring costs)

Rejected by staff side negotiators

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

Negotiations (cont’d)

Staff side position:

await outcome of PRB

Continue talks on years two and three

Further discussions held on 2nd and 4th April resulted in the proposed multi-year agreement which included the PRB recommended uplift for 2008/9 as the year one increase

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

The proposed agreement

•For 2008/9; 2009/10 and 2010/2011

•Contains a combination of:

•% uplifts to all spine points

•Restructuring

•Flat cash element

•Overall uplift of 8.1%

•Non-pay elements

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

The proposed agreement:

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

UNISON policy:

•Health Conference decided not to make a recommendation and to allow members to determine our position

•All members working in health will be asked to vote in a ballot:

•Ballot papers issued on or after 15 May

•Cut off for request for papers 03 June

•Ballot closes 06 June

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

If rejected in member ballot:

•Refer to Industrial Action Committee for decision on industrial action ballot

•Effective industrial action including strike action

•Risk of staging/abating of PRB recommendation by Government

•No agreement on removal of lowest pay point

•No talks on reduction of working week

•No policy on work/life balance

•No restructuring of long pay bands

•No TU facilities agreement

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS

If accepted in member ballot:

•Payment of 2008 money June 2008

•Payment of 2009 and 2010 monies on 01 April

•Monitoring of r&r issues, labour markets, economy

•If inflation rises, return to PRB to trigger re-opener

•2011 PRB process as in annual process

A FAIR DEAL FOR HEALTH WORKERS