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Derby City Council News Schools UNISON

School’s Update – 13 January 2016

Schools update 13.1.16
Schools update 13.1.16

This is a quick update to you all as our time recently has been physically taken up, meeting with members in schools.

The plight of our TA members in schools worsens as a number of schools are only offering additional hours to staff who voluntarily sign up to the new terms and conditions. They are threatening to withdraw the offer of extra temporary hours if staff do not sign voluntarily.

UNISON Derby City Schools Team are challenging this approach in the strongest terms in schools who feel they have to link the two issues. We wonder why a school leadership team would want to treat staff in this way?

In fact the agreement and guidance signed by the council made no mention of the offers of additional hours being conditional on accepting the changes but issued the directive in an attempt to help staff suffering huge losses.

It would appear to be a directive issued by HR to reduce their workload.

We thank those schools…the majority, who are taking a caring and helpful approach to helping their staff through this distressing time and making the decision to separate the issues. It must be made clear that the decision to link the issues, or not, is one for individual schools and their governors.

When HR are challenged directly as to whether they are instructing schools to link the issues they invariably reply that they are not.

This issue is leaving school leadership and staff feeling confused and intimidated. The solution is simple and has been adopted by many schools.  Offers of additional hours are not conditional on acceptance of DCC’s new changed Terms and Conditions.

Many questions re the changes to Terms and Conditions remain unanswered as DCC sail into uncharted territory with school support staff moving to term time only contracts. We have collated these and will present them formally to the pay and reward team on your behalf.

Please be assured that we will let you know when we have a response.

Members in the schools who are being denied hours if they do not sign, say they feel they are being backed into a corner and feel threatened by this approach. We shall be raising this issue with the elected members.

In the meantime if you are affected in this way, please appeal to your School Governors and ask your head to compromise. Be assured that we shall continue to challenge this approach and if you feel bullied or intimidated into signing, you should email the schools team or the branch: unison@derby.gov.uk

 

 

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Our very own Christmas and New Year Message

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

As you are aware, 2015 has been an eventful year for all workers in Derby and here at UNISON locally, we are still very much committed to helping you with your queries regarding sickness absence, pay, changes to terms and conditions, disciplinaries and grievances, and all other matters that are raised.

This year has seen our membership grow significantly and demonstrates that workers are recognising the value of being a UNISON member.

This is a credit to you all for sharing with your colleagues the benefit of being protected by a large trade union in Derby. Evidence shows that the more members we have in Derby, the stronger the voice we have, and the greater power to protect your employment rights. This strong voice has been important recently especially with our school support staff at Derby City Council and, given the budget cuts which will affect city council and Derby Homes staff in 2016, it is vital that your voice is stronger than ever.

For those of you in the midst of the consultation process for dismissal and re-engagement, or working in the areas affected by budget cuts, including outsourcing and restructures, please do not allow this to cause undue stress during the Christmas period.  UNISON is committed to supporting you all in these processes and this support will continue in the New Year.

2016 is going to be a hard year for a lot of our members and rest assured UNISON locally will be here to support you. Please tell your colleagues who are not currently members, the benefits and advantages of joining UNISON.

They can join on-line to pay by direct debit, www.joinunison.org or get in touch with the office for a joining form.

All that remains is to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

With our very best wishes from us all at UNISON Derby City.

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Derby City Council News Schools UNISON

Schools Update – Consultation Meetings Advice

Some schools have already arranged initial consultation meetings and whilst we are working flat out to support you in these meetings no consideration has been given to checking that they do not clash and it is therefore impossible to cover absolutely every meeting.  We will give priority to meetings taking place where there is no UNISON Steward and try to cover as many as possible.  Early notification will improve the chances of arranging for an officer to be present and asking your school to be flexible with times would be helpful.  Feel free to contact the branch or ask your school to check availability.  Let us know as soon as possible if you receive a letter inviting you to a meeting.

Whether there is a Branch Officer present, a steward or members only, we will aim to raise the following issues and ask for the school’s responses. Please add any questions or comments of your own

  1. Have the Governors checked that what they are being asked to do is lawful? e. dismiss and reengage staff.  There is a suggestion, backed by a letter in circulation from Brown Jacobson employment solicitors and through NGA that it may be unlawful.  What is the Governors’ position?
  1. DCC support trade union membership of employees, though the Employment Charter, we ask that you respect our decision to follow our union’s advice. This advice has been given to enable UNISON to complete a legal review.  This is a real and on-going process and has been hampered by DCC’s unwillingness to provide data.  Until the legal assessment is complete the union’s advice is given to protect our legal position by not willingly accepting the changes.  If necessary this will mean going through Dismissal and Reengagement.  However, it is possible to sign and agree by individual agreement right up until 31 May 2016.
  1. Again with reference to DCC’s Employment Charter we ask that additional hours are permanent hours to provide stability of employment and financial security. The offer of these hours should not be a reward for signing up to detrimental new terms and conditions.
  1. Are Head Teachers and Governors aware of the main change to contracts which means that support staff are only required to meet their contractual obligations re hours/weeks worked? It is important therefore that the hours offered from 1 June 2016 need to be sufficient to cover all duties. Eg preparation, marking, staff meeting etc, setting up and clearing away.  There may be implications here for additional teachers’ workload.
  1. We are asking for a fair/even handed approach to offering additional hours within each school without favouritism or discrimination.
  1. Many admin staff and also TA outcomes in DCC are less favourable than those in other authorities and therefore a large number of appeals could be lodged. We would like schools and governors to give a commitment to support our appeals by reflecting honestly on the roles and responsibilities undertaken .
  1. We wish to support colleagues who have had a rise to minimum earning levels as they play an important role in the life of school and children’s well-being. Their hours should be protected from restructure and redundancy in favour of cheaper agency /contract workers. This is also a DCC Employment Charter commitment.
  1. The new template letter produced by DCC rules out term time holiday. This means that there is not a harmonisation of terms and conditions across the workforce.  As harmonisation is the basis of these major changes to our terms and conditions, can the school explain their position regarding this and also the withdrawal of the right to apply for additional unpaid leave as set out in the original offer.