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Additions to Branch library
The following titles have been added recently to the Branch library. copies may be borrowed from your local senior
representative. In case of difficulty, please contact the Branch secretary. The full list of available titles is available here.
- Sickness absence and sick pay (September 2007)
- Health and safety law (August 2007)
- The environment and climate change (June 2007)
- Law at Work (May 2007)
- Carers in the workplace (April 2007)
- State benefits and tax credits 2007 (March 2007)
- Tackling asbestos at work (February 2007)
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New pay rates from November 2007
The Agenda for Change pay scales that come into effect from 1st November can be downloaded here. Only scale points on pay bands 1- 4 are affected.
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Standing Orders agreed
The standing orders for the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Group, which were agreed at the September meeting, may be downloaded here
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Agreement reached on new NHS pension deal
After four years of discussion, agreement has been reached between the trade unions and NHS employers on the Pensions Review Steering
Group. The agreement will implement a slightly modified version of the current NHS scheme as of April 2008 for those in scheme membership as of April 2008. A new and significantly
different scheme will apply to future employees, although current scheme members will have the option of transferring to the new scheme. For both schemes, the contribution rates are tiered,
with staff earning upto £19,165 (whole time equivalent) paying 5%; £19,166-£63,416 paying 6.5%;
£63,417-£99,999 paying 7.5% and £100,000-plus paying 8.5% Normal pension age in the old
scheme remains at 60 but is 65 in the new scheme. Full details may be downloaded from:
http://www.nhspa.gov.uk/site/nhs/index.htm.
Technically,
the changes described only apply to England and Wales at the moment, but an identical agreement is expected in Scotland
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Car parking charges demonstration
All
members are invited to participate in a demonstration against the imposition of car parking charges by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The demonstration will take place on Wednesday 10th October
in the early afternoon. The Unite Greater Glasgow and Clyde Group wishes to encourage as many members as possible to attend this demonstration. However it must be emphasised that attendance at the demonstration must be arranged in the member’s own time – this is
not a form of industrial action - there is at this stage no Union authority for official industrial action. Despite this constraint,
only a powerful and well attended demonstration of members’ disgust and frustration at the imposition of these charges
will further the campaign to reverse the policy.
Further details of the demonstration e.g. location and times will be forthcoming after consultation with other unions and the police etc. However, in the meantime, members are asked to make arrangements which will allow them to attend the demonstration.
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Group submits e-petition to Scottish Parliament
The Unite (Amicus section) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Group has submitted an electronic petition to the Scottish Parliament calling on the Scottish Executive to instruct the health board
to ensure that the Agenda for Change agreement is implemented and arrears paid forthwith. Details of how to sign the petition and progress will be circulated shortly.
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Anger over managers' pay changes
(posted 06/08/07)
Executive and senior managers within the Scottish NHS have reacted angrily to changes to their pay and conditions
of service. Previously, subject to satisfactory performance, they would have received an annual increment worth approx 3.5% (within the maximum of their scale, obviously) and an annual payrise.
Additionally, they could receive a bonus equal the cash equivalent of one or two increments for superior or outstanding performance. This arrangement has been removed by ministerial diktat to be
replaced by an arrangement which abolishes increments and offers a total pay rise of 4.5% for fully acceptable performance (with a further 2.75% or 5.5% for superior or outstanding performance). This
pay uplift is for the year 2006/07 but is backdated only to 1st October 2006. In response, the union is to lodge a series of grievances, refer the matter to the union's legal advisers and
organise a meeting with Nicola Sturgeon, the Cabinet Secretary for Health. A PowerPoint presentation made to a meeting of Executive and Senior Manager members of the union in Glasgow can be
downloaded here.
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New Scottish pay deal approved by health secretary
posted 06/08/07
The 2.5% from 1st April 2007 pay offer for NHS staff in Scotland has been amended to give lower paid staff a little extra. The new offer, if approved by the unions, will
give staff on pay points 1-7 an extra sum, with effect from 1st November 2007, equivalent to the difference between £400 and the 2.5% which they have already received. Staff on pay points 8-18 will
receive an extra £38 per annum. NHS employees in England have received a different offer which still stages the 2.5% with 1.5% being paid fro April and 1% from November. Full details can be
downloaded here. The Scottish offer has received the endorsement of Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing in the Scottish
government and will cost an extra £1.1 million. The Unite/amicus ballot papers will be distributed within the next two weeks
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Advice on AfC review requests
(posted 04/07/07)
The advice prepared by the union’s NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Representatives Committee can be downloaded here
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AfC 2007 pay scales
(posted 04/07/07)
The Scottish NHS circular authorisng the 2.5% pay uplift to the Agenda for Change pay scales can be downloaded here.
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Policy conference: brief report
posed 04/07/07
The Unite the UNION - Amicus Section Policy Conference 2007 re-affirmed its support of the historic link between the union and the Labour Party.
Conference also asked the
National Executive Council to take such steps as are necessary to oppose the rise of the BNP and support local campaigns across the country.
Conference called on the union’s National
Executive Council to campaign for a 35 hour week in the Public Sector.
Conference pledged its support for the National Health Service and abhorred the Government's proposal to fragment and
privatise the Service
Conference called on the NEC to campaign for a publicly owned and controlled NHS that provides free healthcare on the basis of need rather than the ability to make profit,
against creeping privatisation and support health workers who resist these proposals and defend the NHS.
Donald Sime
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Brown defends NHS pay offer staging
(posted 18/06/2007)
At the Union's Policy Conference today, Gordon Brown justified the staging of the Pay Review Body award to staff covered by Agenda for Change as a necessary measure
in the fight against inflation. He went on to say that Nurses and other AFC Staff had to take into account the 4 per cent increase they received from 1st April from AFC (at which point there was an
angry reaction from Health Sector delegates. - it can only be assumed Gordon was referring to incremental points), the 1 per cent of the first stage of PRB also from 1st April, and a further 1.5 per
cent second stage from 1st November 2007.
Gordon seemed to ignore the fact that his own constituents in Fife, like the rest of Scotland, will get next month the full 2.5 per cent without any
staging back dated from 1st April 2007.
(on the spot report by Donald Sime)
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General Secretary Simpson slams NHS PFI
(posted 18/06/2007)
Today, on the first day of the union’s policy conference, Joint General Secretary Derek Simpson, launched an attack on the insidious effects of the private
finance initiative (PFI) on the NHS. "Huge sums of money have been invested in the NHS but still our members have been offered a pay cut and jobs are under threat. Where has the money
gone?
"It's been leached by private profiteers. £23bn will be taken by private sector firms for PFI hospitals over the next 30 years.
"£2.5bn will be paid for contracted-out
medical procedures with no guarantee that all the operations paid for will actually be done.
Mr Simpson also criticised car parking charges at NHS hospitals saying “We now must drive to a
hospital we will be paying for for a generation but we can't afford to park there because the parking has been sold to off to modern day highwayman in the name of efficiency."
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Equal pay setback
(posted 12/06/2007)
An Employment Appeal Tribunal (Bainbridge & others v Redcar and Cleveland BC (EAT/0424/06)) has ruled
that equal pay claims based on the outcome of a job evaluation scheme (JES) can only be backdated until the date of the implementation of the JES and not for the six years which would otherwise
be the case.
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Greater Glasgow AfC BMS/MLA
assimilation update
(posted 03/06/2007)
Cytoscreeners
5 posts - Band 4
MLAs
90 posts - Band 2
43 posts - Band
3
Trainee BMS
3 posts - Band 5
BMS1
4 posts - Band 5
213 posts - Band 6
BMS2
66 posts - Band 7
BMS3
84 posts - Band 7
2 posts - Band 8A
1
post - Band 8B
BMS4
3 posts - Band 7
4 posts - Band 8A
8 posts - Band 8B
ATO Pathology
2 posts - Band 2
MTO2 Pathology
2 posts - Band 3
1 post - Band
4
8 posts - Band 5
MTO3 Pathology
1 post - Band 5
5 posts - Band 6
MTO4 Pathology
1 post - Band 8A
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Afc assimilation and pay awards for former NHS staff
(posted 27/05/2007)
Do you know anyone who has left the employment of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde? Branch officers were under the impression that the Payroll Department would attempt
to contact former members of staff at their last known address if they were due backpay, either because of a payrise or AfC assimilation. It would appear that this is not the case and that such
NHS leavers are expected to write or email if they believe that they are owed money. However, we understand that the Scottish NHS Pensions Agency are informed of amendments to pensionable pay
automatically.
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Agenda for Change Special Transitional Points advice
(posted 26/05/2007)
Members who on the 1st October 2004
were within 4 years of NHS normal pension age of 60 (55 for special classes) should ensure that they have not been assimilated to an incorrect scale point. According to para
46.17 of the Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions Handbook the following should apply:
- Age 58 (53) - no lower than normal minimum of new pay scale
- Age 57 (52)- no lower than highest transitional point
- Age 56 (51) - no lower than second highest transitional point
(Age in parentheses is
for special classes)
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Pay award 2007-08
(posted 27/05/2007)
The Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) has issued a letter to clarify the current position with regard to the 2007-08 pay uplift. It confirms that the position
is that the pay review body recommendations for doctors, dentists, nurses and other health professions will be implemented in full (i.e. not in two stages as in the rest of the UK) However, as there
has been no agreement reached at the Pay Negotiating Council (PNC) for the staff not covered by a pay review body, the SEHD are not willing to implement a pay increase for one group of staff covered
by Agenda for Change until negotiations are concluded for the remainder. In summary, this means that the 2007-08 pay rise will be paid for all AfC staff when the PNC reaches agreement and
then backdated to 1st April 2007 in the time-honoured way.
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Unsocial
hours review - still no agreement
(posted 27/05/200)
Following the end of the consultation on the review of unsocial hours payments, the
staff and management sides of the NHS Staff Council have written to the Department of health informing them that it is anticipated that any new the earliest that any new agreement could not be
implemented before April 2008. It is unclear if this will have any impact on changes to the payments for emergency duties
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BMS/MLA AfC Greater Glasgow and Clyde results update
(posted 03/05/07)
Amongst others Greater Glasgow and Clyde assimilated many BMS and MLA staff at the end of
April. Due to a computer database malfunction and some other mishaps, not everyone who should have been was assimilated. There are reports of staff receiving an assimilation letter
but still getting a Whitley based pay slip, staff getting a pay slip based on an AfC pay band but no assimilation letter, staff getting neither as well as staff receiving both.
The following
summarises the current position for those who were assimilated.
Greater Glasgow
Cytology Screener: 5 got Band 4
Lab Aides: 84 got Band 2; 38 got Band 3
Trainee BMS: 3 got Band 5
BMS1: 3 got Band 5; 200 got Band 6
BMS2: 66 got Band 7
BMS3: 46 got Band 7; 2 got Band 8A; 1 got Band 8B
BMS4: 2 got Band 7; 3 got Band 8A; 7 got Band 8B
Clyde
Cytology Screener: 1 got Band 2
MLA: 16 got Band 2; 8 got band 3
BMS1: 19 got band 5; 3 got band 6
BMS2: 7 got Band 7
BMS3: 3 got Band 7
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Branch library additions
(posted 29/04/07)
The latest
Labour Research Department booklet additions to the Branch library are:
Stress at work (April 2006)
Case law at work (January 2007)
TUPE a guide to the business transfer regulations (May
2006)
Age discrimination (October 2006)
Promoting equality for disabled workers (December 2006)
Group representatives interested in borrowing any of the above should contact the Branch
Secretary
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Overtime payments for staff on AfC protection
(posted 16/04/07)
For some time now, many union members and their managers (including some HR managers) have been raising their concerns about the application within Scotland of a Payroll
ruling which means that staff on Agenda for Change (AfC) protection arrangements are not getting paid overtime until they have worked sufficient extra hours that their AfC pay + the nominal payment
for overtime exceeds their protected pay. Faced with this situation, many staff are refusing to work overtime as they would, in effect, be working for nothing. This has led to significant
difficulties in providing the normal service in those areas which have to rely on overtime. However, following the publication of a new AfC Questions and Answers on the NHS Employers website (here),
usually reliable sources state that a letter will be issued from the Scottish Health Department making it clear that staff on AfC protection should be paid overtime at the usual AfC rates on the
protected salary.
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BMS Whitley 2004-07 Payscales and AfC 2004-07Payscales
(posted 15/04/07)
Donald Sime, Branch Chair, has circulated the above to laboratory reps.
"I thought you and your members would find the pay scales for 2004 to 2007 of value at
this time of Agenda for Change assimilation. It should be noted that there were no Whitley Pay Scales issued in Scotland for either 2006 or 2007 and so the scales attached for these years are nominal
ones that I have produced by applying 2.5% up lifts for both 2006 and 2007. To date no AFC Pay Circulars have been issued for 2007 and so the 2007 AFC pay scales attached are those published by the
Pay Review Body. You will be aware that Scottish Ministers have announced they will implement the Pay Review Body award n full effective from 1 April 2007. "
Donald
The Whitley Scales can
be downloaded here and the AfC scales here.
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NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Public Holidays 2007/08
(posted 15/04/07)
Last year's pattern of public holidays within
NHS Greater and Clyde has been extended to cover 2007/08. A schedule of the dates for Greater Glasgow, Inverclyde, Greater Renfrewshire and Lomond can be downloaded here.
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Agenda for Change update
(posted
12/03/07)
At long last some news for healthcare science staff. Usually reliable sources report that pharmacy jobs were returned to Glasgow from national monitoring at the beginning of
March. A few matched jobs were queried as being unsafe but the remainder were sent to Payroll for assimilation. It is also reported that the other healthcare science jobs (labs, MTO etc)
were returned to Glasgow at the end of last week. Once again, only a few were queried as being unsafe and the remainder have been sent to Payroll for assimilation. Depending on the capacity of
Payroll to process all of these matched jobs, the vast majority of healthcare science members can expect to receive their assimilation letters in April or May.
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Department of Health reveals increased offshoring of NHS jobs to India
(posted 18/02/07)
The (English) Department of Health (DoH) has admitted that 132 NHS trusts have signed up to a plan which has outsourced payroll, accounting and transaction reporting to a
joint venture company which has exported almost 40% of the work to India. Last week, it was revealed that the DoH has given permission for this percentage to be increased to 60%. A spokesperson
for the DoH said that "it could go higher....politics will be an important factor".
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Employers biased against women and older workers
(posted 18/02/07)
A study by researchers at Surrey University has shown that HR managers are biased against older workers and women. The HR managers were asked to allocate a hypothetical training budget between a mixed group of workers who had been selected to a variety of ages, sexes and ethnicity. They significantly favoured younger workers (especially men under 30 years of age) and discriminated against older workers (over 50). One of the study's authors said " Even though they say they don't want to be ageist, as many in our study did, there may be subliminal factors which mean they place the training and development interests of older workers and female workers last".
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