Dec 02 - Care Agency and GHA reach agreement with Unite on nursing staff at Elderly Residential Services

Her Majesty's Government has been in negotiations with the union Unite in relation to restoring parity for nursing staff and nursing allied professionals who work in the Elderly Residential Services of the Care Agency (Mount Alvernia, the Jewish Home, John Cochrane Ward and Calpe Ward) with their counterparts in the GHA.

These professionals previously enjoyed parity with the GHA but when Agenda for Change was introduced at the GHA in 2010 the terms were not applied to staff at the Care Agency and parity was broken.

The Government has recognised the principle of equal pay for equal work and has restored parity. Negotiations culminated in May this year, following a ballot by Unite the deal was accepted by staff. The collective agreement has been signed today.

As from the 1st November 2013, nursing and nursing allied professionals currently working within the Elderly Residential Services of the Care Agency will become employees of the GHA thereby having the same salary, terms and conditions of employment as colleagues in the GHA. They will be deployed to the Elderly Residential Services. The service delivered at the Care Agency Homes will remain unchanged.

Commenting on the matter Samantha Sacramento Minister for Social Services, Equality and The Elderly stated that it was important that parity which had existed between the then Elderly Care Agency and the GHA and had been broken be restored. “ I would like to thank the working group made up of Care Agency & Unite who have worked on this matter and also to commend and thank the staff at the Care Agency and GHA who have dealt with the administrative side of ensuring that this transfer of staff and payment of salaries occurred in record time.