Security in the changing world of education

The education sector is changing fast. In Manchester, a raft of new Government education initiatives are being introduced, the Local Education Authority itself is being transformed and plans are afoot to modernise the Adult Education Service.

What all this adds up to is that there's never been a more important time to join UNISON - the biggest and most influential union in the city. The UNISON Manchester Branch represents all 'non-teaching staff' in schools - from teaching assistants to lunchtime organisers, caretakers to bursers - alongside staff employed in the Council and in the voluntary sector. The Branch has supported and won numerous regrading claims in schools across the city, regularly circulates information bulletins and offers security at work for thousands of members. So if like thousands of your colleagues, you see the sense in joining UNISON Manchester, get in touch with the Branch.

Single Status and You

What does the new Manchester Agreement mean to school workers?

Single Status is a national agreement for local government workers. It brings together the pay and conditions of service of former manual workers such as school meals workers and caretakers and former clerical and support staff such as school administrators and technicians.

Is it good for school based workers?

Yes. Many of the lowest paid part time women employees work in Manchester schools. Single Status means that many workers will see an increase in hourly rates and a further increase in basic wages once their jobs have been evaluated.

How will pay increase?

In Manchester, many former manual employees were on a 37 hour divisor. This meant that even if you worked, for example, only 12 hours per week your pay would be divided by a 37 hour divisor. In future pay will be divided by 35 hours and this will mean a real increase in pay rates. The agreement phases in the new pay rates over the next two years.

An example of how this works is as follows:

Jean's job is worth about £10,000 per year. Her hourly rate is £5.20. £10,000 divided by 52 weeks and divided by 37 (hours) gives an hourly rate of £5.20.

But because of Single Status the working week is reduced to 35 hours. Therefore this means that £10,000 divided by 52 weeks and divided by 35 (hours) gives an hourly rate of £5.49
If say Jean works 20 hours her pay would be £103.95. Because of Single Status, Jean's pay increases to £109.89.

UNISON Manchester has already negotiated a reduction to a 36 hour divisor with effect from April 2003. Next year there will be a further reduction to 35.5 hours and the year after that another reduction to 35 hours.

And lots more…

The new agreement means that part timers and full timers have to be treated equally on issues such as training and development. So if full timers are given paid time off for training this should also apply to part timers and job sharers.

What's Job Evaluation?

Job Evaluation looks at the grades that you are employed on in schools. No school, whether it be a state school or a faith school such as a Catholic or Church of England school, is exempt from the laws around equal pay. Therefore all schools will be required to implement job evaluation. This is a fair way of assessing whether or not the pay that you receive for your job, in comparison with a similar job in the local authority, is fair.

UNISON took legal advice from Cherie Booth QC (the Prime Ministers wife) because some faith schools in other areas had tried to argue that Single Status did not apply to them because they were not employing people for the Local Authority. Our legal advice says that this is wrong and that if faith schools don't implement the agreement then they and the local authorities will be open to legal challenge.

What will happen next?

UNISON has asked the authority to meet and discuss implementation of Single Status in schools across Manchester. But we need your help… If you have colleagues that are not in a union, this weakens UNISON's arguments and only helps the employer resist giving you the terms and conditions that you deserve. Schools staff are amongst the most poorly rewarded of all local government employees. UNISON believes you should get a fair slice of the cake.

Make sure your colleagues join UNISON - even colleagues such as lunchtime organisers who only work a few hours. UNISON subscription fees are inexpensive but give members all the help and protection of Britain's biggest trade union. And it is only by having a strong and active union that you can demand fair treatment.

Application forms and information on the National Agreement on Remodelling the School Workforce have been included with this newsletter. If you need more application forms or further information, telephone the Branch Office on 254 7500 and ask for Brian Stangoe, Gwen Colgan or Kate Farrell.

Happy Birthday to Us

As UNISON celebrates 10 years as the UK's largest trade union, it remains committed to campaigning, negotiating and winning improved rights for its members over the next decade.

UNISON is the country's most influential trade union, and has campaigned successfully on a range of important issues affecting the everyday lives of its 1.3 million members, such as the minimum wage, the two-tier workforce and the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

With Positively Public as its motto, UNISON has improved not only the working lives of its members but also the public services they provide.

UNISON was born in 1993 out of the merger of NALGO, NUPE and COHSE. Amongst many achievements since then, UNISON has:

• won more than £350 million in compensation and personal injury claims for its members;
• successfully campaigned for the introduction of the national minimum wage;
• forced the government to oppose two-tier workforces;
• lobbied for equalities legislation;
• been at the forefront of numerous successful pay campaigns nationally and in workplaces across the country;
• continued to fight for world class public services and an end to PFI via the influential Positively Public campaign.
  
  

Does your workplace have a UNISON representative?

Your UNISON rep is the first point of contact if you need information, advice or help from the branch.

UNISON reps are ordinary members who volunteer to help their fellow members at work. They distribute information to staff, attend workplace meetings, and with the support of the Branch advise members on a whole range of issues. They are the voice of the union at the workplace.

More experienced reps may represent members in sickness monitoring meetings, grievances and disciplinary proceedings and attend the UNISON Manchester Branch Executive Committee to put forward the views of their members at the Branch's decision making body.

Every workplace needs a rep and the Branch is always on the lookout for new volunteers, especially in workplaces that lack representation. If you want to get more involved, please contact the Branch and ask for Brian Stangoe or Kate Farrell. Help, training and support are always available and you can learn new valuable skills as you help your colleagues at work.

Carol Henry is the UNISON rep at Nicholas Varley Community School. Carol said, "I became the rep at my school because I wanted to get involved in what was happening to support staff in schools and to ensure information was being circulated.

Now an experienced school rep, Carol says, "it's important that every school has a rep to ensure staff are kept informed and to act as the contact point between the Branch and the school."