Aberdeen City Council (2)
Stefan Cross has written to all Aberdeen clients on an individual basis - detailing his advice about the council’s decision to issue new contracts of employment.
Aberdeen is not the first council to do this – it is following a well trodden path – and there is no need to be anxious or worried.
The advice to clients is not to accept the new contract at this stage – this means that people will still be required to sign on 1 May 2009 (otherwise dismissal will result) – but it is better for the council to impose the new contract than for employees to accept it on a voluntary basis.
No one will be disciplined or dismissed for refusing to sign – so long as the new contract is eventually accepted by the final deadline on 1 May 2009 – but by that time the council is giving its employees no choice in the matter.
All that people miss out on at this stage is the Equal Pay and Modernisation (EPM) payment – but that forms part of your claim anyway – and by refusing to accept an EPM payment people will be holding out for what their claim is really worth.
The real scandal of the council’s new package is that it continues to treat male groups more favourably than female groups – why else are male jobs being offered a lump sum when their pay is being protected until 20012?
The trade unions have obviously given the nod to the council that they are on board with this outrageous behaviour – because if that were not the case they would be jumping up and down and threatening industrial action.
So, the trade unions are just as bad as the management – part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Aberdeen is not the first council to do this – it is following a well trodden path – and there is no need to be anxious or worried.
The advice to clients is not to accept the new contract at this stage – this means that people will still be required to sign on 1 May 2009 (otherwise dismissal will result) – but it is better for the council to impose the new contract than for employees to accept it on a voluntary basis.
No one will be disciplined or dismissed for refusing to sign – so long as the new contract is eventually accepted by the final deadline on 1 May 2009 – but by that time the council is giving its employees no choice in the matter.
All that people miss out on at this stage is the Equal Pay and Modernisation (EPM) payment – but that forms part of your claim anyway – and by refusing to accept an EPM payment people will be holding out for what their claim is really worth.
The real scandal of the council’s new package is that it continues to treat male groups more favourably than female groups – why else are male jobs being offered a lump sum when their pay is being protected until 20012?
The trade unions have obviously given the nod to the council that they are on board with this outrageous behaviour – because if that were not the case they would be jumping up and down and threatening industrial action.
So, the trade unions are just as bad as the management – part of the problem, not part of the solution.
