Staffordshire Job evaluation - Are you affected?

[nawbus]

£5000 pay cut for me , on the plus side the head said she will not let it happen and has listed a long list of things she can do to stop it.

 

£5000??? You've been stitched up mate! Don't you find it interesting that the alleged 25% of people who are losing money seems to be a lot greater than the supposed 45% who are gaining?

 

To be fair our Head is being very supportive to everyone and is intending to fight all the cuts!

[Quackers]

£5000 pay cut for me , on the plus side the head said she will not let it happen and has listed a long list of things she can do to stop it.

 

£5000??? You've been stitched up mate! Don't you find it interesting that the alleged 25% of people who are losing money seems to be a lot greater than the supposed 45% who are gaining?

 

To be fair our Head is being very supportive to everyone and is intending to fight all the cuts!

 

Our head said one option is to "just opt out", apparently she has the power to (but those having a raise would not get it, and then they would not be happy), another is to give us fake job roles, another is to take the council to court.

 

There is only 1 outcome from this job evaluation.

 

You have a pay cut - pissed off because its a cut

You stay the same - pissed off because its not a raise

Have a pay increase - pissed off because its not enough

[Guest]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/14/staffordshire_ict_pay/

[webman]

This is getting ridiculous! Why don't they just pay ICT staff a decent wage!? Grrrr :x

 

I know it will affect all of us but I hope it's positive for me, I started 3 years ago on £8k and now just gone up to £11k... and there are trainee technicain jobs advertised on £14k. :x :?

[nawbus]

This is getting ridiculous! Why don't they just pay ICT staff a decent wage!? Grrrr :x

 

Because we are not teachers and are not seen as important enough (not a dig at teachers btw, just a comment on the pay structures!)

[webman]

Yes, exactly.

[broc]

Don't you find it interesting that the alleged 25% of people who are losing money seems to be a lot greater than the supposed 45% who are gaining?

 

The way they achieve these numbers is simple enough; Some staff (mainly the lowest paid) will get a rise; often these are part time, and have more than one job with the council. They are counted as winners for each job they have. So a school cleaner who works at 2 schools getting an hourly rate increase in both will be counted as a winner twice. Nursery nurses who were on similar T&C to teaching staff ie paid full time to work term time only now find they have been given an hourly rate increase but are now pro-rated and so face a pay cut. They are also counted as winners.

 

It's all done with statistics.......

[u8dmtm]

Isn't this all breach of contract? If you have a permanant contract between the LEA and yourself which states a wage in figures then changing this without the consent of both parties is breaching the contract.

[u8dmtm]

Sorry to post twice in a row with two different questions but looking at the framework (http://www.becta.org.uk/techcomp/docs/ict_competences_framework.pdf) I am certainly in D category but do more which isn't even touched on - mainly focused on developing and maintaining complete in-house software systems which form core parts of our overall management systems. Is level D a ceiling above which one cannot rise or is their something else above it?

[nawbus]

It's all done with statistics.......

 

Isn't there a saying that goes along the lines of 'there are lies, damn lies and statistics'?

[Geoff]

The becta framework only covers IT support. You're talking about software development.

[u8dmtm]

I see that, but since my role covers both how is this likely to affect me?

[Geoff]

Your wage should reflect these extra skills.

[u8dmtm]

Back to the issue of breach of contract, I thought this page might be of interest:

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Employment/Employees/EmploymentContractsAndConditions/ContractsAndConditionsArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10037116&chk=yHtPmT

 

 

According to this, if an employer tries to change your contract and you don't agree to it then you can take legal action:

 

".... if your pay is reduced because of the change, you could make a claim for unlawful deductions from wages ...."

 

It looks complicated but there seems to be scope for legal action if wages are deducted (or a change in contract attempts to put this into place).

[Geoff]

I'd guess when this goes through, people will be offered their old jobs under the new pay scheme with new contracts. So your tactic would not work.

[u8dmtm]

For that to work they would have to sack you first.

[Geoff]

no, just terminate your contract. I can't speak for Staffordshire but round here we're on temporary one year contracts that get renewed every year. If they want to implement some change in the contract they just update the next years contract. You're free not to accept the changes of course but that just leaves you unemployed.

[u8dmtm]

For you then it is different, but my contract and that of technicians employed by schools in our LEA is permanant.

[StewartKnight]

Thats a sneaky practise introduced into this country from America, it sucks Dude!

 

I knew someone on a one year contract, they'd recently signed up for another year, when they were asked if they'd like a full contract.....

 

The next day, his 1st day as a proper employee, they made him redundant. It was cheaper than cancelling his contract.

 

Obviously I can't name the company, but think of IT in General Motors....

[plexer]

Norfolk LEA are going through this process of evaluations now my contract is the one that I was employed under at this particular school 3 years ago and is not renewed anually.

 

Ben

[umbongo]

Having close associations with "SLT", may I assure reidquat that there have been no special favours afforded the staff there, the majority are in detriment, and many to a greater extent than you may believe.

As for presenting the service with an opportunity to 'take over' schools networks, there is no hidden agenda along those lines.

Part of SLT's mission statement is - "to become the ICT service provider of choice . . . ." - the word choice means the School / College has one!

Might I say, that in suffering a £7.5k projected salary cut myself, I sympathise with all affected. However, I firmly believe that this initial 'offer' will improve, although any detriment is unacceptable. We must make our voices heard, I'm not convinced individual Managers / Heads will have enough power to resolve these matters locally - ie at a 'per establishment' level.

[browolf]

One can't help thinking of the days when RM used to manage school networks and the reputuation they had.

[broc]

One can't help thinking of the days when RM used to manage school networks and the reputuation they had.

What makes you think RM 'used to' ? They still do, and are seen to be a major candidate for many BSF managed services contracts in the next few years. Try searching for RM & BSF on Google......

[browolf]

oh they have a better reputation now?

[broc]

oh they have a better reputation now?

I have no idea, as I have no personal experience of running an RM environment. I believe here are plenty of people who do have opinions though

 

Anyway, since when has a poor reputation (deserved or not) got in the way of companies winning business, especially when Government is involved?