INDUSTRIAL ACTION HITS WINTER MAINTENANCE

[howlsatthemoon]

The strike was thursday and friday.

Sorry I thought the strike action was on Wednesday and Thursday

[amron]

The strike was thursday and friday.

Sorry I thought the strike action was on Wednesday and Thursday

The strikes were rolling all week affecting different departments on different days.

There is an all out 3 day strike this week.

[SmithD]

There is a strike of 3 days next week. Not sure who all is involved, all I know is I'm off, Tueday, Wednesday and Thursday.

On paper it looked good that more people were green circled than red - meaning that the green were an increase, white stayed the same and red reduced. But looking at who benefited it was the higher grades, it's the support staff that are loosing who are mainly the back bone of the council.

I will be on strike, just not sure the action will make a difference. The Union's agreed that it was a good idea to Evaluate the council in hope of bringing lower paid people in line with the rest of Scotland.

As Dave P said it's called Single Status, surely they should have evaluated everyone's posts singularly! Will be interesting to see the outcome if any - if not think a career change may be on the cards for me - millionaire??

[maxmix]

Speaking with someone in a council office last night....

Deffo 3 days next week... Tueday, Wednesday and Thursday !

maxmix

[smokynuk]

To SmithD and everyone else talking about the strike action. The biggest misconception you all have is that this strike is about pay. Its not.

Unison advised industrial action was on terms and conditions ONLY, it has nothing to do with your pay grade. If you want to do something about your pay, then you have to go through the appeals process (which is taking forever)

Please note that Unison also advised us to sign the new contract when it was issued to us, and now are looking for industrial action?!? Kinda like closing the barn doors after the horses have bolted is it not? Especially considering 98% of council workers have signed their new contracts.

Too little too late if you ask me

[SmithD]

To SmithD and everyone else talking about the strike action. The biggest misconception you all have is that this strike is about pay. Its not.

Unison advised industrial action was on terms and conditions ONLY, it has nothing to do with your pay grade. If you want to do something about your pay, then you have to go through the appeals process (which is taking forever)

Please note that Unison also advised us to sign the new contract when it was issued to us, and now are looking for industrial action?!? Kinda like closing the barn doors after the horses have bolted is it not? Especially considering 98% of council workers have signed their new contracts.

Too little too late if you ask me

I know it is about the Terms and Conditions, but just voicing a grievance about the whole job evaluation. The thread started about the gritters not being out, part of their condions is to work shift patterns? Is it not??

The council scaremongered everyone into signing the contracts. Did the Union not advise signing as they did not know what the outcome would really be if people never signed it. Loss of sick, pension, annual leave. And I think the strikes are so late on as it was only a proposal at the time, and the Union wasn't consulted hence the strike action now?

You are right it is probably too late. I've not really got a problem with the terms and conditions. But then being in the Union you support others too? You'll probably find a lot of workers don't actually know what they are striking for niether!

I have my appeal in, and put it this way I've 3 years to find another job! And it will take longer to go through all the appeals!

[Scoop]

I know it is about the Terms and Conditions, but just voicing a grievance about the whole job evaluation. The thread started about the gritters not being out, part of their condions is to work shift patterns? Is it not??

Almost everyone in the private sector has a clause in their contract about working overtime, as and when required.

Are there any gritters present on the forum who are prepared to tell us what their new conditions will be? Is part of your annual salary supposed to cover when you're called out on gritting duties, regardless of whether you actually are or not, or is it classed as 'overtime' for which additional pay is given?

How long, I wonder, before this is another occupation colonised by migrant workers from other EU countries?

You are right it is probably too late. I've not really got a problem with the terms and conditions. But then being in the Union you support others too? You'll probably find a lot of workers don't actually know what they are striking for niether!

This is something else that's confusing me. Some workers appear to be striking. Others seem to be operating a work-to-rule. Seems very disorganised to me.

I have my appeal in, and put it this way I've 3 years to find another job! And it will take longer to go through all the appeals!

I wish you well but remember the grass ain't always greener on the other side of the street.

[Scoop]

What was the vote on the recent ballot for industrial action? Although my other half works for the Council she doesn't seem to know much about it!

From the Argyll & Bute Council website:

• From a total of 1,762 Unison members, 404 voted yes for strike action 274 voted no. For industrial action short of a strike 470 voted yes and 201 voted no.
• From a total of 222 Unite members 57 voted for strike action 16 voted no. Sixty voted for industrial action and 13 voted no.

[Sweltered]

What was the vote on the recent ballot for industrial action? Although my other half works for the Council she doesn't seem to know much about it!

From the Argyll & Bute Council website:

• From a total of 1,762 Unison members, 404 voted yes for strike action 274 voted no. For industrial action short of a strike 470 voted yes and 201 voted no.
• From a total of 222 Unite members 57 voted for strike action 16 voted no. Sixty voted for industrial action and 13 voted no.

None of my business, but there's hardly a consensus for action, is there? Only a third voted, and only a quarter were in favor of striking. My experience with unions is that those who don't vote to strike, won't abide by the majority decision. Fair enough, its a personal decision, but if the strike is successful, those who didn't strike will benefit too.

[LO]

From the BBC website today

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/gla ... 227540.stm

[SmithD]

www.unisonabc.org.uk

Found this today. Details whats been going on.

Will be interesting to see how many turn up at Dunoon. Or have decided to strike or go into work, think there is a few who aren't sure what to do.

[smokynuk]

There was always the threat of strike action whether the gritters went out or not, and the fact that you said they weren’t out due to “part of their conditions” shows that you know too that its all about terms and conditions.

Your comment about voicing a grievance is totally moot. The whole thing HAD to go ahead regardless. Its being implemented right across the whole country so its not as if Argyll & Bute can opt out. Also if you are referring to your own pay grade, well the pay model 6a was agreed by every single councilor and is now set in stone. So those 2 reasons alone means that strike will make no difference to either your own pay, or the job evaluation.

The Union advised us to sign because they couldn’t get themselves organized fast enough, simple as that. If strike action was called before contracts were signed it would probably make a difference, and you would get more than 22% of Union members voting for strike action.

Of course if you are in the union you support it. That’s what the union is for. But losing 3 days pay over something only 22% of members voted for is ridiculous.

Also heard today that there were rumours of a 5 day strike planned. Lets see who can afford to lose a full weeks pay over this.

[Kintyre Forum News]

Rather than post a separate thread regarding the Industrial action I'll post this here. This news release was received today from the Council.

COUNCIL MEETS WITH TRADE UNIONS

Argyll and Bute Council met with the joint trade unions, UNISON and Unite, yesterday (Monday 4th February) in an effort to avoid industrial action over the ongoing single status agreement.

However, despite further concessions, the Council is disappointed that the trade unions were unable to lift their threat of strike action.

The Council has been in discussion with the unions for a considerable period to try and secure a collective agreement, with no success. At yesterday's meeting the Council were prepared to move further to resolve the dispute and as a result, managed to reach an agreement on all but one of the main issues of concern, including public holidays, pay frequencies and working time arrangements.

However, the trade unions requested the continuation of time and a half for basic hours worked on Saturday and double time for Sunday - a change which combined would have added almost £450,000 on an annual basis to staff costs.

Council Leader, Councillor Dick Walsh, said: "I reject the view of the meeting being expressed by the Trade Unions that the Council squandered any opportunity to move towards a resolution. Our discussions were positive and we reached an agreement on all but one of the main issues of concern.

"The Council sought exemptions for key services affecting the most vulnerable groups within Argyll and Bute including children and the elderly. Exemptions were asked for specific individual care clients and lifeline services however these were refused by the unions.

"I am disappointed that even the most vulnerable members of the community are apparently being targeted for action as part of this dispute.

"We have made every effort to secure a collective agreement with the trade unions and made substantial concessions in a number of areas. However, the Council has a responsibility to protect services and jobs within Argyll and Bute and the current proposals represent the best offer which the Council can make."


NOTES TO EDITORS

The Council’s proposals were offered to staff in October 2007 and at the end of January 2008, 98% of employees had signed up to the Council’s offer.

The Council issued proposals in February 2007 to the trade unions and individual employees and as a result of responses received made substantial concessions on pay. As a result of these concessions, the Council’s pay bill would rise by £6m from £72m to £78m at 2007/08 prices.

A major concern raised was the number of people facing a loss of pay at the end of the three year pay protection period. As a result of these changes by the Council the number of people facing a loss dropped from 700 to 150. The Council also gave a formal commitment to look at job re-design and a programme of training and development for these employees which would give them the opportunity to increase their earnings.

The Council offered the revised proposals to all employees in October 2008 and to date 98% of employees have accepted the Council’s offer. Despite the concessions made and the high level of acceptance from employees, UNSION and Unite proceeded with a Ballot for Industrial Action in which only a third of their membership voted.

[mrn]

What was the vote on the recent ballot for industrial action? Although my other half works for the Council she doesn't seem to know much about it!

From the Argyll & Bute Council website:

• From a total of 1,762 Unison members, 404 voted yes for strike action 274 voted no. For industrial action short of a strike 470 voted yes and 201 voted no.
• From a total of 222 Unite members 57 voted for strike action 16 voted no. Sixty voted for industrial action and 13 voted no.

None of my business, but there's hardly a consensus for action, is there? Only a third voted, and only a quarter were in favor of striking. My experience with unions is that those who don't vote to strike, won't abide by the majority decision. Fair enough, its a personal decision, but if the strike is successful, those who didn't strike will benefit too.

Totally agree Sweltered - less than 25% of members voted to strike.

[maxmix]

To SmithD and everyone else talking about the strike action. The biggest misconception you all have is that this strike is about pay. Its not.

Unison advised industrial action was on terms and conditions ONLY, it has nothing to do with your pay grade. If you want to do something about your pay, then you have to go through the appeals process (which is taking forever)

Please note that Unison also advised us to sign the new contract when it was issued to us, and now are looking for industrial action?!? Kinda like closing the barn doors after the horses have bolted is it not? Especially considering 98% of council workers have signed their new contracts.

Too little too late if you ask me

Got to agree with the signing new the contract bit !

I'd say that would have been the correct time for tools down ! You have to sign these papers (Correctly I do believe !) or your sacked.....

That is the key issue here !

I had a customer telling me in the shop today.... Only 1 on the picket line.... What was that all about ? (No organisation or what ?)

also I heard a few employees dropped out of the Union ! So they could work through the strike action !

Does not sound great of this is true !

maxmix