2018/19 Kent County Council Pay Offer Consultation
ALL UNISON MEMBERS ON KENT COUNTY COUNCIL BLUE BOOK PAY SCALES

Your Branch Officers have over the past few months been negotiating with KCC HR and Finance over Pay and Terms and Conditions for the 2018/19 Financial Year.
Our Pay Claim Submission included the following headline demands from the Joint Trade Unions:
ORIGINAL SUBMITTED PAY CLAIM FROM TRADE UNIONS

  • pay pot of 4.6%
  • A commitment to negotiate new pay scales with the aim of Kent County Council achieving Living Wage Accreditation as part of the agreed pay settlement for 2018.
  • 1 day increase in the basic holiday allowance for those on pay points KR2 to KR12
  • 1 day increase in the 5 year service holiday allowance for those on pay points KR2 to KR9.
  • A commitment to abide by the outcome of the review of term time working being conducted by the NJC to deliver fair treatment for school support staff through fair, consistent and transparent contracts.
  • A commitment to negotiate a Commissioning and Procurement Agreement with the Joint Trade Unions covering:
  • Consultation structures;
  • Access to information;
  • Trade Union recognition;
  • Protection of pay, conditions and pensions.
  • A commitment to a joint union and employer working group to review and improve support services to KCC staff around the issues of mental health and stress in the workplace.

We are delighted that a majority of these have been successful and the following summary of what was agreed from the employer is below.
KCC EMPLOYER FIRST RESPONSE

  • 2.5% Pay Pot (which is subject the usual TCP process)
  • A commitment to modification of the pay structure which we assume also includes continuation of the work on Pay Scales which have yet to be finalised and agreed by the Trade Union side.
  • Review of annual leave carried over from the last year’s agreement.
  • A commitment to look at the NJC Term Time working review jointly with trade unions
  • A commitment to negotiate a Commissioning and Procurement Agreement with the Joint Trade Unions covering in particular with regards to arm’s length companies.
  • Consultation structures;
  • Access to information;
  • Trade Union recognition;
  • Protection of pay, conditions and pensions.
  • A commitment to a joint union and employer working together around the issues of mental health and stress in the workplace.

However the Joint Trade Unions felt that the pay pot was not acceptable as inflation is currently running around 3% and any pay pot would still be subject to the TCP system which could alter this significantly. After more discussion and negotiation that Employer came back with 2.6% pay pot. We continued to feel that this was unacceptable to our members and maintained our 3% position. Subsequent meetings have taken place and the final pay pot offer that went to the County Council Budget Meeting on Tuesday 20th February and was agreed by the majority of the County Council was that 2.8% pay pot be agreed.
It has been announced that this pay pot will be distributed via the TCP distribution and is as follows:

  1. Achieving = 2.6%
  2. Above = 3.6%
  3. Outstanding = 5%

In additional there is:

  • A new minimum salary in KR2 of £8.10 per hour
  • An increase in the top and bottom of each grade by 1.3% (half of ‘achieving’)

So the final KCC employer offer we are asking members to now vote on is as follows:
KCC EMPLOYER FINAL RESPONSE

  • 2.8% Pay Pot (which is subject the usual TCP process as above)
  • All which was agreed in the first submission
  • In addition the following:
  • Change KR2 to a single point with a salary of at least £8 per hour - an over 4% increase
  • By default the bottom of KR3 increases at the same rate - over 4 %
  • That a costed proposal on annual leave is taken to the next Personnel Committee in June 2018

As this stands we feel that the response would not meet the ongoing financial pressures our members face with inflation as it currently is and therefore are seeking to recommend to our members that this pot offer is rejected due to the real terms pay cut this would represent. We hope that members will recognise that we feel that fairness our members is important and light of the recent 15% increase in Councillor Allowances we feel that and therefore anything under 3% for the pay pot would be unacceptable. We thank those County Councillors who supported the amendment put forward by the Labour Group to increase the pay pot to 3% which was defeated by the Administration.
We are asking you, our membership, to vote on the proposed final offer from the employer. We are also seeking direction from members via an indicative ballot to see if they would support action short of strike. This includes but is not limited to: working to rule, an overtime ban, (to which the union can support you), working the hours you are employed for etc.
UNISON KENT BRANCH RECOMMENDS THAT YOU REJECT THE 2018/19 KCC PAY OFFER.