Top union boss jets in to Jersey for “crisis" talks

Thursday 17 November 2016

Prospect Union chief Bob King will land in Jersey today for “urgent” talks with States employers, saying his members are now at their "wits end" over stalled pay talks.

Mr King held talks two months ago with States officials, but no deal was thrashed out and he is now back, demanding a deal for his members.

At the moment there is no pay deal on offer, but Mr King says industrial action is a certainty unless the States Employment Board (SEB) meets him and agrees a wage rise for States employees.

“Right now there is no deal and that has to change,” said Mr King. “The members have been balloted and there is universal support for a week-long and month-long ‘work to rule,’ which means employees won’t work over their lunch breaks or any extra unpaid hours.

“The next step up from that is full scale industrial action, which will happen unless this is addressed. There is a need for urgent talks because members have waited far too long.

“Eighteen months ago the 2015 States budget included a written paragraph which outlined a 1.5% pay rise for employees. Where has that gone? It has literally disappeared. Here we are nearly in 2017 and we cannot even get the SEB to come to the negotiating table. This is now a crisis and States employees are, quite rightly, at their wits end.”

Mr King is travelling to Jersey today to meet States human resources officials.

He said: “I am seeing the HR department and will be asking to meet the SEB. Those same HR officials recently agreed a deal which would have been grudgingly accepted by members, only for us to be then told that they didn’t have the authority to make that 1.5% pay offer. It is a mess.

“This has got to be sorted out quickly. It has gone on far too long and I think States employees have shown remarkable restraint. That restraint is now at an end and they and I want answers. They want a pay deal that was outlined in the 2015 budget and they want it straight away. No more fudging.”