Good news today from UNISON's Health Service Group Executive, who have rejected a proposal to surrender incremental progression in return for an unenforceable pledge of "no compulsory redundancies" among some grades in the NHS (http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2111).
Incremental progression - the modest annual increases for staff new to their grade until they reach the top of their grade - is a well established element of many contracts of employment in public services.
Had the unions caved in on this, and agreed detrimental changes to contracts, this would have greatly weakened and undermined the position of the unions, without any guarantee of greater job security.
Some local authorities (including - shamefully - Labour Greenwich) are making similar proposals and these need to be resisted.
The decision of the Health SGE demonstrates a wise recognition of the folly of trying to give up contractual rights or conditions of service in the hope of job security.
The best route to job security is building stronger trade union organisation, and an important element in achieving this is a resolute fight to defend and advance (not undermine) the conditions of the workforce.
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1 comment:
I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this given that the first UNISON press release of 15 December stated that "We will have to give this offer serious consideration"! The unions have a low profile within our PCT and I'm sure a no compulsory redundancy promise wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on.
Keep up the good work!
Cameron, West Mids NHS member
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