Dec 04 Unite the Union - Elderly Services Parity
On Friday 29th September, Unite the Union was able to finalise the agreement that has led to the re-establishment of the parity that existed between the clinical staff of the Elderly Services (formerly the Elderly Care Agency) and the GHA.
When the Agenda for Change process was finalised within the GHA under the previous administration, the natural extension of this deal to the ECA never materialised. Unite felt that a great injustice had been done and with the assistance of the Unite structures within the ECA led by Wendy Clouter, a campaign to foment public awareness and condemnation that culminated in a demonstration shortly before the General Election of 2011 occurred.
Unite's working party now led by Frederick Martin secured a commitment from the new administration following their ethos of 'Equal pay for Equal Work' who then started the proceedings that led to the Final Agreement this past week.
The Chief Minister had earlier signalled his intention that this outstanding domestic issue would come to its conclusion this calendar year in his May Day address. Unite is satisfied that the time frame stipulated by the Chief Minister was reached with credit given to both the administrative wings of the Care Agency and the GHA.
The particulars of the Final Agreement state that Elderly Services Clinical Staff would be privy to a 'Transfer of Undertakings' (TUPE transfer) to the GHA. As a consequence of the transfer the Elderly Services Clinical Staff cease to be employees of the Care Agency and become fully fledged employees of the GHA, albeit retaining their current Care Agency management structures in the immediate term under the remit of Minister Samantha Sacramento. To any other effect these employees will be subject to all current and future terms & conditions and salary structures within the GHA. Payment of salaries would be retrospective from 2009 onwards, the date from which the new pay scales would have come into effect should have the existing parity been respected. Unite has also secured a forum recognised by HM Government of Gibraltar to discuss and resolve outstanding issues that were not tackled in the Final Agreement.
Unite is indebted to the current working group comprised of Pollyanna Lockwood, Wendy Clouter and Frederick Martin in addition to all active Elderly Services Shop Stewards. It would be amiss if thanks were not expressed to the Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo and Ministers Sacramento and Cortes respectively for not only re-implementing the previously enjoyed parity but cementing it furthermore. Unite is also thankful to the administrative team given the unenviable task of calculating the arrears owed in record time having started in September and finished in November. Special thanks are also due to GHA management for the efficient and narrow working relationship that was struck between Unite, the Care Agency and the GHA.
Finally, Unite would like to express its appreciation to its members within the Elderly Services for their support but above all else, patience.
