NHS Scotland - update
NHS cases is Scotland have become bogged down at the Employment Tribunals due to the foot dragging antics of the employers - but also because the trade unions are hopelessly compromised.
The trade unions - Unison being the main culprit - have agreed with Agenda for Change every step of the way at national level - but they are also implementing the new grades locally in a way that completely suits the employers.
A rather odd way for a trade union to behave, don't you think?
Union members don't have access to information about how other NHS jobs are being graded - but why not?
The union reps carrying out the grading exercise locally (and jointly with NHS managers) often lack the necessary expertise and training - why?
Union members don't receive regular feedback what's going on locally - why?
So the whole Agenda for Change process is becoming discredited as widespread anomalies creep into a system that is supposed to be transparent and even-handed.
At the Employment Tribunals the trade unions are facing both ways at the same time - they say they agree with Agenda for Change and encourage local union reps to sit on joint Grading Panels with NHS management.
But then the trade unions pretend to their members that they are challenging the whole Agenda for Change at the Employment Tribunals - when in fact all they do is to slow things down.
If the trade unions are unhappy with Agenda for Change, then why the hell did they agree to it in the first place? And why are they still helping NHS managers to implement a flawed scheme?
Unlike the trade unions, Action 4 Equality and Stefan Cross are deadly serious about challenging Agenda for Change. A major test case has been lined up for April/May 2008 - if things go according to plan - and will be held in Newcastle where Stefan Cross is based.
The outcome of the Newcastle hearing will affect cases in Scotland since Agenda for Change is effectively a UK wide employer/trade union agreement.
Significantly, the trade unions are not part of this challenge - a simple truth that speaks for itself.
The trade unions - Unison being the main culprit - have agreed with Agenda for Change every step of the way at national level - but they are also implementing the new grades locally in a way that completely suits the employers.
A rather odd way for a trade union to behave, don't you think?
Union members don't have access to information about how other NHS jobs are being graded - but why not?
The union reps carrying out the grading exercise locally (and jointly with NHS managers) often lack the necessary expertise and training - why?
Union members don't receive regular feedback what's going on locally - why?
So the whole Agenda for Change process is becoming discredited as widespread anomalies creep into a system that is supposed to be transparent and even-handed.
At the Employment Tribunals the trade unions are facing both ways at the same time - they say they agree with Agenda for Change and encourage local union reps to sit on joint Grading Panels with NHS management.
But then the trade unions pretend to their members that they are challenging the whole Agenda for Change at the Employment Tribunals - when in fact all they do is to slow things down.
If the trade unions are unhappy with Agenda for Change, then why the hell did they agree to it in the first place? And why are they still helping NHS managers to implement a flawed scheme?
Unlike the trade unions, Action 4 Equality and Stefan Cross are deadly serious about challenging Agenda for Change. A major test case has been lined up for April/May 2008 - if things go according to plan - and will be held in Newcastle where Stefan Cross is based.
The outcome of the Newcastle hearing will affect cases in Scotland since Agenda for Change is effectively a UK wide employer/trade union agreement.
Significantly, the trade unions are not part of this challenge - a simple truth that speaks for itself.
