That Old Single Status Feeling November 10, 2006
Posted by Brian in : CPD Conference, Single Status, Uncategorized , trackbackI have just returned from a meeting about single status and job evaluation in east Lothian. It was presented by Sharon Saunders who is head of personnel in East Lothian. The presentation lasted just over an hour. Staff from all the Musselburgh cluster were there and although the big question couldn’t be answered (where will I be placed on the new scale?) it was all very informative and worthwhile.
There seemed to be differing levels of awareness amongst the assembled group. I have been following the whole process very closely due to the fact that I was evaluated for the technicians in the local authority and also because being a member of the Scottish Technicians Advisory Group (STAG) I have met technicians from across Scotland that have taken a hefty pay cut because of the implementation of single status.
Each different local authority have approached single status in their own way and there is no evidence to say that just because one authority has marked down a certain group of workers, that another will do the same, but human nature is such that comparisons will be made between councils.
If you have any thoughts on single status issues then please leave a comment. I have been thinking about starting an area where support staff can discuss and compare agreements. If you would be interested in contributing then please leave a comment and I can get something sorted very quickly.
I have managed to get all the conference photos uploaded.
If you want to see some of the delegates then click here
For photos of the Scientific and Chemical workshop then click here
For general photos, including the presentations on the final morning, click here
Hope you enjoy them.
Todays talking head from the conference is Graham Sheridan from Dundee Council. As usual just click on his picture to run the video.
Graham Sheridan
Powered by FireStats
Comments»
Hi I am a senior technician in a secondary school in staffordshirewe have just been given the results of our job evaluation. Not only have I been given a pay cut, but also now been regraded at the same level as my technician and assisstant technician. As a result I will be expected to continue my role for the same money as them although they have no qualifications and less experiance thus will not be able to complete tasks which I do! I am really interested to discover what is happening to others and if anything can be done to change things.
Interested to hear of another area that is leaving single status implemantation til late in the day. Lower paid staff in Bath and north East Somerset feel they have a gun to their heads as this council is paying for SS implementation by scraping enhanced and overtime payments. They are also looking to impose 7 day contracts while they are about it. Is this happening elsewhere?
Union meeting also today. We have little faith there also as we have heard nothing from them during this negotiation time. We are to get letters soon detailing the proposed changes with promises of dismissal if we do not sign.
Staff involved are largely front-line services. And we are expected to smile and carry of regardless of how we are being treated.
Further, as a low-scale manager, I know that it is staff like me who will be expected to formulate and implement unpolular work rostas.
Job evaluation has caused chaos in the support staff at my school, many significant pay cuts are proposed for key members of staff. If these staff choose to leave for better paid emploment else where who will suffer? I have no doubt people will fill the vacancies but at what cost, these are experienced staff with a vast knowledge of both their job and the school in which they work. If several key staff were to leave at one time I wonder what the overall effect would be? As a parent it is a very real worry.