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5 September 2014
Mandate to progress talks with management
Following from our members meetings at various
campuses this week where you outlined to us your
concerns about the evaluation exercise and gave
both the college based representatives and the branch
office a clear mandate to progress discussions with
college management >>
read more
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27 Aug 2014
Updated job descriptions, pay protection, legal
position
Following on from our previous briefings about
the Edinburgh College Job Evaluation process and
outcomes we are in a position to give our members
an update from the recent discussions with your
management... Click
here or on the image for a PDF of the briefing
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15 Aug 2014
Job evaluation: Concerns, negotiations, TUPE and
law
Since our last members’ briefing, released
on the 8th of August, there have been significant
developments in both the structure of the Edinburgh
College Job Evaluation exercise and its direction
of travel.
The last briefing was produced to outline UNISON’s
attitude and approach to the evaluation exercise
and to begin to capture our members concerns in
advance of the four Campus members meeting held
this week.
WIDE CONCERN
It has been evident at those meetings and also in
the volume and content of the many emails and phone
calls that the Branch office and College based reps
have received that there are a wide range of concerns
that our members have.
We are endeavouring to answer these questions as
soon as possible and to ensure that the views they
represent are taking forward as our mandate from
you into the ongoing discussions with your employer.
NEGOTIATIONS
These are ongoing. The next meeting will be with
your executive management next Tuesday. At that
meeting, and any subsequent meetings, we will be
representing your views and ensuring that our shared
concerns are understood and resolved.
These concerns are mainly to do with the aspects
of the process that, as is now evident, have failed
to capture the specifics of certain roles and have
resulted in an inaccurate and detrimental evaluation.
TUPE
As indicated in the Job Evaluation Update you will
all have received from your employer there has been
a link made between the evaluation exercise and
the TUPE. transfer that created the merged college.
This legal position has been forwarded to our legal
offices for an opinion. To further that query the
Branch has made a request to the College for a copy
of the legal advice they received. To date we await
a response.
Should the position be correct then the question
arises as to which bit of the law takes precedence;
the TUPE regulations and/or the legal case law on
pay protection and the duty to create an equality
proofed, evaluated pay and grading structure?
NEXT STEPS
We will continue to discuss and negotiate with your
employer on the evaluation exercise and all the
other post merger harmonisation of terms and conditions
issues.
Regular updates will in future be produced to keep
our members abreast of any developments.
As before, no decisions will be made without the
members having been consulted first.
To assist us in that process please engage with
your college based representatives and the Branch
office to ensure your views are represented.
Keep an eye on the website or twitter for updates.
See a briefing about job evaluation, equal pay and
the law on the website.
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8 August 2014
Job evaluation members' briefing Edinburgh
College
Members' briefings on job evaluation will be held
in Edinburgh College fromMonday 11 August 2014 (see
in college for details).
UNISON has produced a briefing (see below and pdf
on right) which is going out today 8 August.
Job evaluation: Members’ briefing
Following the College merger in October 2012 among
the many issues discussed with College management
was the intention, and indeed legal requirement,
to carry out a College wide evaluation exercise.
Immediately following the merger the first priority
was to discuss and agree a Recognition Agreement
(RPA) to cover the new merged employer which would
define and shape all ongoing consultations and negotiations.
Once this was completed (in March 2013) the discussions
on Harmonisation of Terms and Conditions, Policies
and Procedural Documents and generic College contract
of employment commenced properly.
The initiation of the Job Evaluation scheme for
the College was brought to our attention in early
July 2013.
At that point the indicative timescale and project
completion date of August 1st 2014 was responded
to as being "giddily optimistic" by UNISON.
Why is job evaluation needed?
At this point a brief history of the purpose and
rationale for your employer to carry out an evaluation
exercise may be helpful.
To eradicate gender inequalities in pay and grading
structures and meet the legislative obligations
captured in the Equal Pay Act of 1970 and the Sex
Discrimination Act of 1975 employers are required
to carry out an evaluation exercise that removes
and actively prevents gender inequalities.
The process was partially completed across the
individual colleges previously and the merger provided
an ideal opportunity to both complete that exercise
and revisit previous evaluations.
UNISON is required by dint of the Recognition Agreement
to engage in that process.
Our primary consideration is to ensure that no
existing inequalities are perpetuated and no new
inequalities are created.
Additionally we strove to ensure that the outcomes
were accurate and palatable and that the pay and
grading structure is equally weighted from top to
bottom and does not unduly favour higher graded
roles.
Appeals
To back this up a robust and transparent appeals
process is an absolute requirement. There have been
concerns about the evaluation reports that have
been made available to post-holders but following
recent discussions the full evaluation report for
each post and a copy of the scoring matrix will
be provided.
The ongoing issue we have in respect of the appeals
process is the 'deadline' indicated, 29th August
2014. We consider this to be indicative and have
sought and received assurance that no appeal will
be declined beyond that date.
Deadline extended
Following recent discussion the deadline has now
been extended for another two weeks to the 12th
of September. Again, we underline that is nominal
and should there be a valid reason for a late submission
it is unlikely to be refused.
Consequently we urge you all to consider whether
or not you wish to lodge an appeal and be assured
that we will assist you in constructing that appeal
- no matter how long it takes!
Equalities assessment
The external consultants contracted to advise the
college: Northgate, were involved in the previous
evaluation exercise and have a long standing, well
respected reputation in this field, especially in
the public sector and Further Education.
Regardless of that UNISON will ensure that a full
Equalities/Equal Value assessment is conducted on
the colleges evaluation exercise and indeed that
the College meets its Public Sector Equality Duty
obligations.
These assessments are done on outcomes. Consequently
the system has to be applied and the outcomes of
any appeal process have to be factored in.
So, yes, we require any of our members who feel
their post has been inaccurately evaluated, for
a range of reasons, to submit an appeal.
Should you want to submit an appeal but are unsure
contact any of your College based reps or the Branch
Office for advice and support
branchoffice@unison-edinburgh.org.uk or 0131 558
7488
There are ongoing discussions with your management
on this issue and these will continue until we are
satisfied with the outcome.
However the responsibility is also each member's
to engage with the process and your representatives
to ensure that all views are captured in discussions.
You do not abdicate that responsibility when electing
a representative.
Please help us to help you by making this a collective
and united consideration.
