As reported at our last Panel meeting, NIPSA held two consultation meetings during March this year with Branch Officers and Representatives working in NJC related areas on potential elements for active consideration as part of the TUS development of the 2022 NJC Pay Claim. Thank you to those who participated in this important exercise. The elements discussed are currently under consideration by the NJC TUS. Confirmation of what this year’s pay claim is will be shared once finalised.
In parallel, NIPSA remains fully committed to working with our sister unions in order to campaign for improvements to your living standards and to lodge separate local improvements to your terms and conditions of employment claims that can be the subject of local negotiation with your Employer, under Part 3 of the Green Book as previously discussed. It is important to underline that in your Employment area, NIPSA holds the JTUS Secretary seat on behalf of all the recognised trade unions and will continue to take the lead in the negotiation of any improvements to your terms and conditions of employment at JCNF/LCNF/JCNC level.
It is crucial that you have your say on what is important to you and have the opportunity to share how your family is being impacted by the escalating food and energy prices, soaring inflation and the toughest squeeze on your cost of living and household budgets in over 30 years. To this end, NIPSA is preparing a members’ survey which we will be asking Branches to circulate to all your NIPSA members to find out directly what members believe our key campaign issues should be going forward. We will be setting up a dedicated space on our website to which completed surveys can be submitted confidentially. The information you provide will be analysed collectively by employment area and the factual information used to formulate our campaigns and key negotiating points going forward in each NJC area. The survey will be issued to you as soon as possible.
You will also be aware that our Sister Union Unite is currently undertaking a second round of strike action over 2021 NJC Pay and related issues across some NJC areas which, in most cases, is taking place over this week and next. This is currently ongoing across some Councils and the NIHE. Once again, NIPSA is encouraging Branches to support your striking Unite colleagues.
With regard to the 2021 NJC Pay Award, I would refer you to a number of statements issued during March 2022 which set out NIPSA’s position on the paltry 1.75% NJC pay increase, including the 4 March joint TU statement agreed under the auspices of NIC-ICTU, my separate Circular of 4 March 2022 and the NIPSA General Secretary’s Circular of 18 March 2022. These NIPSA Circulars included suggested ways in which members and Branches could show support and solidarity for Unite’s industrial action, including: not covering the work duties of staff on strike; NIPSA members attending and supporting Unite picket lines and rallies before starting or after work or on breaks; working from home where possible to avoid having to cross any picket lines; taking annual leave (although this option is probably closed to staff at the moment); sending individual and collective messages of support to Unite Branches in your area etc. Branches have no doubt thought of unique ways in which to demonstrate support in your own workplaces. As before, please provide careful advice to NIPSA members of the potential repercussions by the Employer if they refuse to perform their normal duties as NIPSA members are not officially on strike. If you have any specific queries that you need assistance with, your HQ Official should be able to help.
Given NIPSA’s evident ongoing support for Unite members’ industrial action to date, it is very disappointing that Officials have recently been receiving from some Branches anecdotal reports of concern that Unite reps have been allegedly raising tensions on the ground in NJC areas and potentially poaching NIPSA members. Such behaviour does not comply with the ICTU Constitution that the unions have signed up to, nor is it conducive to healthy Industrial Relations and should be challenged. If this is happening in your work area, and cannot be resolved locally, please inform your Full-time Official, providing the specific details of the alleged incident including who was present, when (date & time), location, identity of any witnesses, and a report of what occurred. This information will be used to escalate the issues for resolution to the appropriate full time officer of Unite by your HQ Official.
Further updates will be provided on NJC Pay to advise on developments in due course.