News (Updated Tuesday 19th Dec)

TONIGHT UNION MEETING

Unison tonight had a branch meeting the main item on the agenda was Single Status, I will just put a few of the key points that came across for people that did not attend. Generally I was reassured by some of the stuff they had to say.

Unison stated.

*Unison can not, and will not support the pay model.

*Unison Wolverhampton have a long and proud history of apposing Single Status and have unfortunately inherited a "crap" national deal

*There will definitely be a ballot on the issue if the pay model is not seen as illegal (in terms of equal pay) by Unison lawyers.

*Unison can not recommend a yes vote when so many people will lose

*People who join Unison now will get a vote on the issue

*3 years protection is the maximum "defendable" amount that can be offered without opening the council up to legal action on grounds of equal pay.

* Unison are continuing to work toward reducing the number of people that are "Red Circled"

* We may have to brace ourselves for a fight if the council refuses to negotiate.

* Unison believe the council will still negotiate and will not want to resort to Section 188 dismissals unless as a last resort.

* If the council do try to impose the Single Status agreement on us without any further negotiation then there would likely be a ballot on strike action.

* If the agreement is passed, which Unison don't believe it will be. Unison will talk to the red circled (losers) about what action they want to take next. This could include industrial action in individual service areas.

* Its not true that Wolverhampton will try to force it though by April 1 for fear of risking having to return a large amount of money to central government. This money is related to backpay which is separate from the finance for single status.

Unison also said they can understand many people had been concerned by their apparent lack of action. They apologise and claim this is down to being overrun by phone calls with queries. They have promised action in the new year and are open to suggestion as to what form this would be in.

COUNCIL FINDS A VOICE

Wolverhampton Council has finally issued some further information about the single status results in an email to all staff on Friday. While its good to finally hear something from our employers we don't believe the information they have provided is still enough to gain a full picture of what is going on.

We call on the council, to provide us with figures of full time staff that have gained, lost and stayed the same. People who have lost the ability to move up the scale should be counted in the LOSERS. City people issued an email saying only 21% would be effected by single status. If I had lost the ability to advance four rungs up the pay scale I think I would count myself as one of the effected. The council is still using smoke and mirrors to try and disguise the true impact of single status.

LETS GET THE FULL PICTURE FORUM

As we still believe the council is spinning the figures we have set up an area of the forum for you to enter the results from single status in your section. This page can now be posted to without registering. Please keep this area just for the figures, up or down... loss of advancement means down.