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Every council worker could have to re-apply for job
EVERY single one of Sheffield Council's 13,000 staff could be made redundant and forced to re-apply for their own jobs in the latest twist to the ongoing controversial pay and grading review.
The council has served a 90-day 'HR1 notice' informing the Government of its proposal – which it would implement if no collective agreement can be reached on proposed new rates of pay and grading by the end of June.
But trade unions Unison, the GMB and Unite are all continuing to oppose the planned changes to terms and conditions put forward by council management. They say more than half the council's workers – around 6,500 employees – could yet walk out on strike in protest.
Under the pay and grading review, although some staff would receive a pay rise, others in low-paid positions such as teaching assistants would be forced to take pay cuts of up to 25 per cent.
Unions are furious, and workers affected fear the enforced pay cuts could mean them no longer being able to afford their mortgages.
Both the biggest union, Unison – which represents almost half the council's staff – and Unite, mainly representing transport workers, today revealed they may ballot for industrial action.
Rod Padley, branch secretary of Unison, said: "We felt all the way along that the council never wanted a negotiated settlement. The proposed losses to people's pay are in some cases quite horrific. "At the moment we are a million miles from collective agreement and we will be moving to ballot our members for industrial action very soon."
Mark Keeling, branch secretary of Unite, added: "We are still trying to negotiate at the moment but, if that breaks down, we will ballot our members for industrial action."
The GMB was unavailable for comment.
The council's new stance has been outlined in an internal newsletter, which reveals an "implementation date" of this July for the new pay and grading structure.
It says if an employee has not signed a new contract by then, they will be "dismissed and offered re-engagement on a new contract".
The outraged partner of one member of staff said: "Those concerned are being given no choice as to the agreement of a new contract. Further, they are being insulted by the offering of financial advice, counselling by occupational health, and low-rate loans to tide them over."
Unions are being backed by the Lib Dem council's opposition Labour group.
In a statement, it said: "We call for an urgent review of the final pay and grading levels for those workers on the lowest pay, and where there have been substantial losses."
Sheffield Council's chief executive John Mothersole said: "The law states we have to issue an HR1 notice at this stage. A collective agreement is still our aim, and we will keep meeting with the trade unions to try to find a way forward.
"If a collective agreement is reached all employees will have new contracts sent to them.
If a collective agreement is not reached, each employee will receive an individual letter with their new contract details and the option to accept on an individual basis.
"If an employee does not sign, there is a technical process we have to go through which means the employee will be 'dismissed' but at the same time we offer to re-engage them on the new contract."
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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