Pay
The claim letter that was sent to DE&S sets out our expectations and requests that members receive consolidated increases that begin to address the inequity caused by higher starting pay and the devaluation of DE&S salaries resulting from the government’s pay cap. As members may be aware, Prospect has also commenced proceedings for Equal Pay cases for some members who have been disadvantaged by the cessation of pay progression since 2011.
The trade unions have also been in dispute with DE&S over the performance management system which Prospect believes is fundamentally flawed and will continue to produce discriminatory outcomes despite the assurances from DE&S that HRBPs will be involved in the moderation process and that the distribution will be guided rather forced. Evidence gathered through DE&S’s new performance interventions process, which revealed that the majority of staff given a Box 3 marking were not in fact poor performers at all, confirming the argument that Prospect has consistently made, that any target for an overall distribution undermines the credibility of performance management. Yet DE&S has signalled that, in using its pay flexibilities, it will rely on this flawed process by increasing consolidated pay only for those who are in the top box markings.
Whilst we are still in pay negotiations which are confidential, we cannot publish the letters received to date but will do so once we are free to do so. It is fair to predict that DE&S will not move towards meeting our claim and that the move to a new pay review date of April will be put back to 2017. The pay offer for the Senior Civil Servants has again exceeded the 1% remit which means that DE&S are willing to use their flexibilities for the most senior staff, but so far the trade unions have not had any indication that this will extend to staff in the broader banded structure. Prospect has reinforced the point that this sends a clear message to staff below SCS that they are not valued despite the fact that it is these very people that are undergoing a radical transformation programme and continue to deliver in the day job in addition to working towards the new ways of working next year.
Prospect will hold pay workshops at Abbey Wood on 22nd June to discuss DE&S’s pay offer and to seek evidence from members about recruitment and retention problems, skills shortages and under-staffing within DE&S. Please watch this space for the final pay letters, which we expect to be received early in June.
NSQEP
It is anticipated that there will be a significant volume of appeals from staff who believe that they should be included in the new PCL. Prospect has been engaging with the NSQEP leads to secure a specific grievance procedure that will expedite resolution of these appeals. It is anticipated that the process will be launched next week. In order to submit an appeal under this process, members will need to state when their RRA should be been paid from, at what level and on what grounds. We would ask all members submitting a grievance to please send a copy to Prospect at [email protected]
The issue of back dating the RRA is still outstanding. Prospect is actively pressing the Department to confirm commitment to and funding for backdated payments. In parallel, the union has also commenced preparations for legal proceedings to recover back pay through the Employment Tribunal, in case discussions with the Department are not successful. If you have not already done so, please register your interest, including a brief summary of your NSQEP history, by emailing [email protected]. Prospect will log all potential claims received and will update the members concerned on how it is intended to proceed.
Prospect remains hopeful that we can reach settlement with the Department and finally put an end to this unnecessarily long and painful saga.