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Keith Price's branch secretary's report
1 - Pay negotiations
The Local Government Committee met at the end of July, the 2010/11 pay offer, if it is an offer of 0%, doesn't seem to have moved forward much. The committee asked Ann Vinden if she would speak to national office and circulate the current situation.
The 2 year public sector pay freeze announced by this Tory government in the emergency budget, does not apply to local government, as the Local Government Association decide the pay rises in authorities like ours not central government.
UNISON will in a couple of months be sitting down with the LGA to discuss the pay award for 2011/12.
2- Protocols
There are new protocols the branch has to follow in cases that either the member or the branch officers think is a racial discrimination case.
If either think it has the potential to go to a tribunal, then with a time limit of 1 day short of 3 months, after the last act of racial discrimination, the application has to be made to the ET office. Stewards and officers have to get the case form filled in and signed, sent to this office for the branch secretary to sign off, then it will be sent to the regional officer as soon as possible. They will forward this on to Thompsons (Unison’s Solicitors) for a legal opinion as to whether there is a case or not.
We have to abide by their decision. We can however go to see the solicitor if we think they have made the wrong decision.
If there is a chance of winning the case, as always Thompsons will follow this through, and deal directly with the member.
The question regarding who follows through the grievance procedure on these cases can be answered simply: the branch officers are to see these through.
3- Transformation
The transformation project is now warming up, and the branch officers have several meetings scheduled in.
There are 9 work-streams in this project and several of these work-streams have other strands, up to 13 in CSF.
Below are the Leads from this project and we will be asking stewards for help on these and have permission for time off for stewards.
WS 1 Simplifying the customer journey, Keith Price
WS 2 Children’s services, Gill Thwaites
WS 3 Promoting Independence personalisation and early intervention, Keith Price
WS 4 Localism and engagement, John Vickers
WS 5 Enhanced commissioning and procurement, Brian Ruggles
WS 6 Best use of assets Brian Ruggles
WS 7 Organisational design and operation John Vickers
WS 8 Working for HCC Keith Price
WS 9 Right level of publicity financed services Keith Price
4- Transport
There have been a number of issues recently with the transport department, with vehicles as we see it being sent out with faults; some major.
Our H&S officer Peter Wooton is compiling 3 reports on these vehicles and we will ask HCC to ensure in the future those clients, our members, and indeed the general public are no longer at risk. I will keep everyone informed.
5- Branch Committee
There is no branch committee in August, so see you on September 14th.
I hope you have received your copy of the newsletter, if not it is on its way ,enjoy.
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