Union describes pay deal crunch talks as “very constructive"

Wednesday 14 February 2018

A meeting between unions and the States following the mass rejection of major plans to reform the public sector has been described as “very constructive.”

Around a dozen union representatives delivered the ballot results from their members face-to-face with States representatives at Cyril Le Marquand House yesterday. Neither the members of the States Employment Board (SEB) or its Chairman, Senator Andrew Green, were in the meeting.

Kenny McNeil, the Royal College of Nursing representative in the meeting, said it was an opportunity to tell the employer the results directly. He told Express: “It was a very constructive meeting (…) it gave them a deeper thinking into why it was rejected.”

The workforce modernisation offer - which is part of a major overhaul of the public sector to streamline services and provide a fairer pay system – was overwhelmingly rejected by union members as follows:

Jersey Nursing Association     – 94%

JCSA Prospect                        – 88.2%

Unite the Union                        – 87%

Royal College of Nursing         – 75%

The offer from the SEB promises to reward 3,229 employees an increase of 3.3% in pensionable pay in total by 2020, but unions have criticised this saying employees are more likely to see a real terms pay cut as the offer is unlikely to keep pace with inflation - which they say the public sector has lagged behind since 2007.

Pictured: A Freedom of Information request compares the public sector pay awards with the rate of inflation over the past 10 years.

A statement from the States of Jersey said: “The States Employment Board (SEB) is disappointed in the outcome of the ballot. SEB maintains that the offer is the best deal possible for employees within the island’s financial constraints, and it provides guaranteed pay rises for three years.

“The Workforce Modernisation programme will enable the States to streamline and harmonise pay and conditions for 5,000 employees as part of essential public service reform.” 

The Unions are now waiting to hear the States of Jersey’s next move, which is now being considered. They have meetings scheduled for 20 and the 27 February 2018, where they hope to receive an answer on the way forward with resolving the ongoing pay dispute.