Council plays blame game in pay and grading review

I have, at another council, sat on evaluation panels that are used for job evaluation that doesn't involve the use of a computer program. There is no way that this 'manual' form of job evaluation would produce as many inconsistencies as Birmingham's computerised job evaluation has produced and the appeals have exposed.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary used the same job evaluation scheme and the same computer program to gather and process job details and, as appears might have happened at Birmingham City Council, everything went pear shaped because job details were entered incorrectly and inconsistently. However, instead of trying to pretend that everything was OK as its chief constable would probably have preferred, the Police Authority responded to scenes of its tearful and angry civilian workers in mass walk-outs by suspending the pay cuts and bringing in the Metropolitan Police to investigate what had gone wrong.

Shouldn't Birmingham City Council similarly be suspending pay cuts and bringing in an independent body to examine its job evaluation exercise, especially as some other West Midlands personnel officers have, a few years ago, expressed concerns about inconsistencies arising from the use of the same computer program? Or are there too many people at the Council who, like Devon and Cornwall's chief constable whose unsympathetic handling of fiasco was a factor in her 'resignation', think they can front it out?

This is a Statment made by Ann Lafferty, GMB Regional Organiser to a Birmingham Mail article on the 10th December

Andy

Having read the article “Union advice led to Council wage cuts” written by yourself and contained within the 10th December 2008 edition of the Birmingham Mail, I trust that in the spirit of fairness, equity and balance you will publish as prominently as the above named article the following press release sent to you on behalf of the GMB Trade Union and UNITE (TGWU and AMICUS sections):-


HOODWINKING HYPOCRITES IS HOW THE UNIONS DESCRIBE BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL

Ignored and then blamed is the message Trade Unions, GMB and UNITE, described as the incredulous stance taken by Birmingham City Council personnel.

GMB and UNITE were astounded at the statement given by Andy Albon to the Birmingham Mail in which he blamed the Trade Unions for the difficulties they now find themselves in with thousands of appeals being lodged and 81% of those appeals being won by the workforce.

The Trade Unions were keen to set the story straight and to tell the people of Birmingham that they are being hoodwinked. GMB and UNITE strongly deny Andy Albon’s accusation that they dissuaded their membership from participating in the Job Evaluation exercise. Both Unions can demonstrate that the opposite was the case. They regularly spoke to and wrote to their members to encourage them to fully participate in the Job Evaluation exercise knowing full well that the greater number of people evaluated would mean a better chance of an accurate end result.

GMB and UNITE also went on to explain how there had previously been a joint panel involving Trade Unions and Management and called the Moderation Panel, whose role was to look at whether the evaluation exercise had problems that needed addressing and if so the panel would recommend appropriate action when necessary. This Panel was closed and all meetings being stopped by Birmingham City Council with no notice or explanation being given to the Unions.

The Unions can also demonstrate that the Employer changed the evaluation system part of the way through the process and that both GMB and UNITE regularly raised concerns with the Employer telling them that the changes they had made were wrong. They also advised the Employer that they should be following good practice and having joint checks and equality testing and when the Employer failed to take up this suggestion GMB and UNITE advised the Council that this could result in thousands of workers being given an incorrect grade which would result in mass appeals. In fact, the very situation that the Authority finds itself in today.

GMB and UNITE are proud of the support that they have given to their members in pursuing appeals and if there is any responsibility that the Unions should take it is that of providing a first class services to its members in its quest to sort out problems of the Council’s making.