Your Branch Recommnds That You Vote "NO" To The Offer This Year As There Is Still No Pay Progression.
The purpose of this post is to advise members of the importance in voting in the ballot on the 2009 Haden Pay offer.
By now you will have seen details from the Branch regarding the round of members’ meetings to discuss the offer and also potentially the materials from the Shadow Haden’s PCS (Group) Executive Committee regarding the pay offer. If you have seen the details the Shadow Haden’s PCS (Group) Executive Committee you will have noticed that the Shadow Haden GEC or at least the negotiators are recommending acceptance.
They will undoubtedly want to explain further the reasons for their recommendation.
The Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch have considered the offer but do not believe that it is acceptable.
Reasons for the recommendation
At the members’ meetings in 2007 and 2008 to discuss the pay offers the Branch explained that we were recommending support 2007 offer as it sought to commence the process of harmonising the various pay and grading issues from 2008 and that in 2008 we recommended that you vote against the pay offer as this movement towards harmonisation and the installation of pay progression had been reneged upon by BBW (Haden).
2009 has arrived and there is still no major tangible offers on harmonisation of Pay rates and Pay structures nor have the grading issues been satisfactorily resolved in terms of having a Pay and Grading system that is clear and transparent to all concerned. There are very minor moves in the right direction with the steps towards harmonised pay settlement dates.
Pay Progression
The offer in 2009 does not again (as was the case in 2007 and 2008) have any Pay Progression element within it. Pay Progression is the time that it takes for a person to move from the scale minima to the scale maxima. Unless the minima which is increasing more than the maxima is allowed to catch up to the maxima. The minimum is increasing from £11, 650 to £12, 100.
As there is a two percent pay rise element for those staff earning les than £13, 500 pro-rata and a one and a quarter percent pay rise for those staff earning more than £13, 500 pro-rata. This means that it is (under this years system) impossible to get to the scale maxima. Under this years system if you are earning more than £13, 500 and someone is earning more than you are then they will continue to do so forever, and indeed the difference will increase, until you both retire! This means that in essence there is negative pay progression, as people will be moving away from those on maximum, slowly sliding down the non – existent pay structure!
BEC Recommendation
Your Branch Executive recommends that you vote “No” to the offer as there more work is needed to address pay progression, Pay structures and harmonisation of Pay and Grading.
We recommend that all members vote in the ballot and also if possible attend one of the pay meetings and discuss the pay offer.
It is your pay and your union. Vote No and send the negotiators back into talks. If you are reading this post and are not a member then please complete the form here to join.
