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Attempts by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to sideline established negotiation arrangements has lead to staff at the agency calling for a vote of no confidence in the management.
SEPA presented the new draft pay structure, as well as a final pay offer, to UNISON on Wednesday. However, immediately following the presentation, they refused to allow the union time to consult with its members and informed them that they were going to go directly to the individual members to get their approval.
UNISON has issued advice to its members on how to respond to these individual offers and has promised to consult formally with members on the offer they have been given. They have suggested that the speedy distribution of papers detailing the individual discussions indicated that SEPA had planned to walk away from the collective bargaining well before the meeting on Wednesday.
Marion Adamson, UNISON’s Regional Officer said: “It is clear that SEPA management came to the negotiation yesterday anticipating rejection of their proposals. They refused to negotiate, and they refused to allow consultation with our members on what is a complex new structure, and a two-year pay deal. This is not the first time that SEPA has unilaterally walked away from agreed procedures when UNISON doesn’t immediately agree to their proposal. Members are incensed and have called for a vote of no confidence in the management.”
Rebecca Noon, UNISON’s SEPA Branch Secretary said: “It is particularly galling, that after a number of years negotiating on the introduction of job evaluation and equal pay, pursuing fair pay for women within the agency, the management can bring to the table a part-completed offer, insist we accept it before talking to members and then walk away again from the arrangements they agreed to set up.”
Readers have left 8 comments. 1. SEPA staff call for vote of no confidence in management
Anonymous, Unregistered SEPA unison are not necessarily the most democratic organisation themselves. Last year their members voted to reject the AGM as unconstitutional and conducted in breach of union rules - this was decided at a special general meeting but ignored by Unison. They can hardly complain now that people aren't following agreed rules 2. SEPA staff call for vote of no confidence in management
Anonymous, Unregistered I notice that there was a 93% vote in favour of the no confidence motion 3. SEPA staff call for vote of no confidence in management
Anonymous, Unregistered SEPA have been dragging their heels over this pay structure for the past two years! They have once again left it to the last minute. Why should staff suffer for the inadequacies and lack of professionalism of their senior management by trying to impose a detrimental pay offer! 4. SEPA staff call for vote of no confidence in management
Anonymous, Unregistered SEPA’s decision to walk away from the collective barging shows that the pay offer made in totally unacceptably. Otherwise they would have allowed Unison time to hold a proper ballot on the pay offer. 5. SEPA staff call for vote of no confidence in management
Anonymous, Unregistered Why has SEPA been allowed to be managed by what looks quite clearly like people who have no idea what they are doing? There should be questions asked of the management as to why 93% of staff have no confidence or belief in the management to resolve the process as they have consistently walked away and carried on with what they think is best for THEM, not their staff. 6. SEPA staff call for vote of no confidence in management
Wee Jimmy, Unregistered The actions of SEPA's Corporate Management Team in the Pay & Grading negiotations has been nothing short of disgraceful. We have been fed outright lies and their intentions are dishonourable with very questionable accounting practices. Why can SEPA afford 50 new staff at over £1.2m when they can't meet Equal Pay legislation? It is high time the SG sent a team in to manage this public body and Audit Scotland took a good look at dodgy accounting.
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