1.         Background and framework

  Without the active support and commitment of its staff Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) cannot deliver the services it seeks to provide.

In recognition of the special role that its staff plays in the delivery of the service, MDDC wishes to foster the active involvement of the staff in the development of its activities.

It is recognised that the most effective means of ensuring its staff participation is through their active involvement in representative and democratic trade unions.

This agreement, therefore, reflects a commitment to ensuring that the representatives of UNISON have adequate facilities and time off with which to undertake their duties efficiently and effectively on behalf of their members.

2.         Categories of representatives

The use of the term ‘representative’, throughout this document, refers to those employees of MDDC who have been accredited and covers other terms in common use, such as ‘shop steward’, ‘senior steward’, ‘branch secretary’, ‘convenor’, Lifelong Learning Adviser, and ‘place of work accredited representative’.

 3.         Relations at local level

MDDC and UNISON believe it is important for local managers and representatives to establish effective lines of communication.  It is expected that a good deal of industrial relations business will be between local representatives and managers.  Senior representatives or full time officers may be involved where there is no local representative, or when the industrial relations issues concern more than a single department or are of themselves particularly complex. 

4.         Accreditation of representatives 

It will be the responsibility of the branch to notify the employer when representatives are appointed and when any changes occur. 

5.         Paid time off for trade union duties 

Representatives engaged on industrial relations business on behalf of their members will be permitted to take reasonable time off during working hours for such purposes as: 

§         Consultation, discussion and negotiation with the appropriate level of management;

§         Informing constituents about negotiations or consultations with management;

§         Meeting with other staff representatives or with full time officers on matters concerning industrial relations;

§         Interviews with, and on behalf of, members – including grievance and disciplinary matters concerning them and their employer;

§         Appearing on behalf of constituents before an outside official body, such as an employment tribunal, which is dealing with an industrial relations matter concerning MDDC;

§         Meetings with new employees to explain the role of the unions and the industrial relations structure within MDDC. 

6.         Amount of time off 

The amount of time required by representatives to undertake their duties and activities will vary according to the position and role of each representative.  Senior representatives will need a greater allocation of time than those whose responsibilities are restricted to a single work place.  In certain circumstances, the allocation of time off for senior representatives will need to be the subject of discussion and special agreement. 

An understanding of what constitutes reasonable time off will be agreed by the union representative and their line manager 

7.         Definition of ‘pay’ 

The principle, which will be applied to all representatives, is that they should suffer no loss of pay as a consequence of carrying out their trade union duties.  Neither should they gain any extra pay in the course of their trade union duties and normal times of starting and finishing should be observed.  The exception to this practice will be when representatives are requested by management to attend a meeting, or to perform a trade union duty outside of their normal working hours.  In such circumstances the representative will be paid in accordance with their conditions of service. 

8.         Shift workers 

Special arrangements will need to be made to ensure that representatives who are shift workers are treated fairly.  It is accepted that it is unreasonable for shift workers to perform their duties extensively during their periods of time off.  It is also agreed that representatives who are shift workers should not be expected to compromise their health and safety or the health and safety of other members of staff and service users as a consequence of their involvement in industrial relations business. 

9.         Representatives visiting other departments and sites 

A representative who is required to undertake trade union duties in a department or on a site other than the one in which he/she is normally employed should inform the local manager before these duties commence. 

10.    Office facilities 

MDDC will make available the following facilities for UNISON representatives to enable them to undertake their industrial relations business:

 §         Access to a telephone to make and receive calls on a confidential basis;

§         Access to a safe, comfortable room for the purpose of interviewing members;

§         Access to equipment for the purpose of copying documents;

§         Notice boards throughout the work sites, for the use of UNISON representatives;

§         Use of the internal mail system;

§         Access to word processing and/or typing facilities;

§         Use of fax and electronic mail system;

§         Information relating to the staffing levels, grades and earnings of the staff in the group for whom the union representative is responsible;

§         A list of the names and workplaces of employees;

§         Use of a lockable filing cabinet.

11.    Additional facilities 

In addition to the above basic facilities the employer will make every effort to provide the following facilities to UNISON. The location of these facilities will be a matter for detailed discussion 

§         A designated office, safe, equipped and adequately furnished, heated, ventilated and with adequate lighting;

§         An answer phone or other facilities for taking messages when the UNISON office is not occupied;

§         Access to a meeting room for steward meetings and/or larger groups of members;

§         Copying and printing facilities with the required stationery;

§         Information relating to the  staffing and finances of MDDC for use in collective bargaining;

§         Information about new starters. 

12.    Information 

Representatives will be provided with information necessary for collective bargaining and will be consulted over issues of redundancy and business transfers.  Information needed will be made available promptly and in accessible form. Essential information for these purposes includes: 

§         Pay and benefits;

§         Conditions of service;

§         Staffing;

§         Performance;

§         Financial matters. 

13.    Training 

Representatives will be allowed reasonable time off with pay to take part in training activities approved by UNISON in connection with their industrial relations duties. 

Requests for release for training should have regard for the exigencies of the service and representatives should normally give at least four weeks notice of requests for time-off 

It is anticipated that all representatives will attend both an induction course and a basic representatives course as soon as possible.  Time off for further training will be granted, as appropriate, in accordance with the duties and responsibilities undertaken by the representative. 

14.    Trade union conferences 

Paid time off will be granted to representatives in order to attend UNISON’s national and regional events such as Annual Conference. 

Agreed                                                                date

For CMT                                                             for Mid Devon UNISON