Unions condemn Southampton council's attempts to divide and mislead
its workforce
24 June 2011
Unions have warned Southampton council employers that their
negative approach to recent talks, designed to solve the month-long
industrial action across the city, could cost a further £12 million
and tie the council up in lengthy legal battles.
The unions were responding to an attempt by Southampton city
council's management today - condemned as ’underhand' by Unite - to
mislead staff into thinking that lower paid workers earning under
£22,000 per year would be exempt from the upcoming pay cut.
Unite is calling for the council to come clean and admit that
this is blatant attempt to try to pit workers against one
another.
Unite and Unison are also urging the council to rapidly rethink
its strategy for the entire dispute, which could see it face 2,500
claims by workers for unfair dismissal and a failure to consult
over the council's plans to put the workforce onto inferior
contracts.
In an open letter to the city council's management today (see
notes to editors), Unite and Unison, repeat their call for the
deadline of 11 July to be dropped to allow talks to continue
without the looming threat. In return, the unions will suspend all
industrial action across the city, which has seen rubbish go
uncollected, social workers use taxis instead of their own cars for
home visits, and tens of thousands of pounds drain away each week
as traffic fines and the Itchen Bridge tolls go uncollected.
Ian Woodland, Unite regional officer, said: "This latest attempt
to mislead the workforce is underhand and typical of Southampton
city council's conduct during this dispute. We are telling workers
now that they must understand this – employees earning less than
£22,000 are not exempt from pay cuts as it is still proposed to
take back already paid increments and not pay them again next
year.
"Rather than talk with us constructively at Acas this week, the
council, astonishingly, went into talks with a press officer. This
suggested the council was more interested in presenting the
breakdown of the talks - which they then made inevitable - than in
putting effort in to constructively finding a solution.
"We are saying to the council now, this is your final chance to
avert further costs to this city and more industrial disruption.
Stop drinking in the last chance saloon and start supporting these
talks."
Mark Wood, Unite Convenor, said: "We have had three days of Acas
talks with Southampton management now. At no point during these
long hours have they given the impression that they are serious
about solving this dispute through negotiated means.
"Their obstinacy has cost this city millions of pounds already
and will cost it millions more in courtroom battles to come.
Southampton city council's duty is to solve this dispute through
peaceful means - not to throw fuel on the fire.
"We have repeatedly offered to suspend our industrial action to
allow talks to flourish. All we ask is that the council acts
likewise and drops the needless threat to sack workers on 11
July."
ENDS
For further information contact the Unite Press Office on 020
7731 2065.
Notes to editors:
The open letter to Southampton council's CEO Alistair Neill
reads:
The joint unions, UNISON and Unite, write to register their
extreme disappointment at the outcome of the talks facilitated by
Acas on 16 June and 22/23 June respectively.
Southampton city council has stated publicly that it wants to
restore good industrial relations with unions and yet it has acted
in a manner contrary to this when given the opportunity to progress
a solution through the respected conciliation channels.
As employers, it is your duty to ensure that your conduct during
negotiations would not in any way undermine those negotiations.
However, the nature and tone of your communications to the
workforce during the period of the negotiations, along with your
media statements, in our view did not comply with this duty and
served only to confirm our worst fears; that you have very little
intention seeking a resolution by negotiation and agreement.
For our part, despite the unfortunate approach taken by the
council, we remain committed to a negotiated solution and will be
contacting Acas shortly to organise further talks for next
week.
It is not too late for the council’s management to act
responsibly and call off the dismissal date of 11 July. This would
allow a positive atmosphere for discussions to flourish without the
backdrop of escalated industrial action.
On behalf of both unions, Unison and Unite, we would like to
appeal again to the council’s management to suspend the dismissal
notices for 11 July. In return the joint unions will suspend all
industrial action in order for intensive talks to commence to find
a negotiated solution.
We should not have to remind you of the significant costs this
will save the council by averting possibly thousands of potential
unfair dismissal claims by the workforce which will be heading for
employment tribunals. Additionally, there is a possible claim
against you as employers for failing to consult with your workforce
on your plans to sack them and reinstate them on lesser terms,
which could cost Southampton some £12 million.
We have a moment now whereby we can make progress. We urge you
not to quash this opportunity but to act upon our common duty to
the people of this city to find an honourable agreement.
We hope to hear from you at the earliest opportunity.
Yours sincerely
Mike Tucker
Unison, branch secretary
Mark Wood
Unite, branch secretary
