To receive a verbal update on potential strike action.
Minutes:
Joanna Richer, Senior HR Case Adviser, verbally updated the Committee on National Pay negotiations and possible strike action.
Members were informed that the National Pay Award for 2024 had not been agreed and therefore, no pay award had been applied. The Unions submitted their claim at the end of February 2024 and following consultation, the National Employers responded with a full and final offer in May 2024 which proposed, with effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of £1,290 (pro-rata for part-time employees) to be paid as a consolidated, permanent addition on all National Joint Council (NJC) Pay Points 2 to 43 inclusive. It was explained that the offer would achieve a bottom rate of pay of £12.26 with effect from 1 April 2024 which would equate to a pay increase of 5.77% for employees on Pay Point 2, and all employees on the NJC pay spine would receive a minimum 2.5% pay increase.
The three Unions then balloted their members on this offer with UNISON and Unite the Union rejecting the offer, and GMB Union accepting the offer. UNISON confirmed that following the rejection, they would be balloting their members on industrial action which commenced on 4 September 2024 and would run until 16 October 2024. Unite the Union also announced that they would be balloting members for industrial action from 27 August 2024 to 15 October 2024, however it was confirmed that staff at Wiltshire Council or within Wiltshire schools would not be balloted.
Officers explained that the outcome of the UNISON ballot would not be known until after 16 October 2024, and if the vote for industrial action was agreed, the Union would need to give at least 14 days notice for strike dates. As industrial action would affect both Wiltshire Council staff and support staff in Wiltshire schools, officers were beginning preparations for the potential impacts of a strike by UNISON Members from early November 2024 onwards. As such, it was confirmed that approximately 700 Council staff were UNISON Members and could strike if industrial action was called, with a significant proportion of those staff working in the Council’s front line services. It was explained that a working group would be established including Heads of Service, Communications, Legal, and HR to consider mitigation for strike action and to put contingency plans in place. Officers would also work with employees in Education and Skills to provide support to any schools and academies who may be impacted alongside other partners such as the NHS and Wiltshire Police. It was noted that there were regulations in place regarding the provision of cover for the workloads of those staff striking, however Members were reassured that these services would be prioritised and resourced to provide support where needed.
Finally, it was confirmed that those members of staff involved in any industrial action would not be paid for the days that they were on strike, and as soon as any strike action was announced, those members of staff would be prevented from booking annual leave on those dates in order to reduce the impact.
Members were reassured that further updates would be provided once the ballot outcome was announced. Following which, it was:
Resolved:
The Committee noted the update.