Local Government Transparency Code

LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY CODE

Trade union facilities arrangements in Hillingdon

All employers are required by law to permit trade union representatives reasonable paid time off to carry out their trade union duties.

Hillingdon provides funding for a fixed number of facility days to enable Branch Secretaries and other specified officials of trade unions to carry out the duties for which they were elected. This includes attendance at management and trade union meetings that are convened in line with the various consultations and collective bargaining arrangements that take place on a regular basis.

This funding is only available to cover for those trade union officials who are employees of the council. Trade union officials from Regional Offices who carry out the duties of a Branch Secretary do not attract funding under the corporate or schools facilities budgets. Accordingly, during the 2014/15 financial year, corporate funding was expended onlyin respect of Unison, GMB, NUT and ATL officials. Facilities provision for the GMB union has been available only from January 2015 following the appointment of a council employee to an eligible trade union position.

The corporate funding of trade union duties is not paid to the trade unions but is made available to managers as required to enable them to backfill the jobs of trade union officials so that services to residents do not suffer. The maximum number of days funded are as follows (the allocations asterisked have not been utilised during 2014/15).

Unison / 8.5 days per week (1.7 FTE)
GMB / 1.5 days per week (0.3 FTE)
Unite / 1.5 days per week* (0.3 FTE)
NUT / 0.5 days per week (0.1 FTE)
NASUWT / 0.5 days per week* (0.1 FTE)
ATL / 0.5 days per week (0.1 FTE)

Other trade unions recognised by the council are UCATT, Association of Educational Psychologists and the National Association of Head Teachers, but they do not attract corporate funding at the present time.

Local trade union representatives and shop stewardsare granted reasonable paid time off for their union duties as and when required, and decisions to do so are made by managers based on the reasonableness of requests made and the needs of the service. No additional corporate funding is provided for this purpose.

Separate arrangements are in place in respect of schools, for which a total of £53,167 is made available from the Dedicated Support Grant, as agreed by schools as part of their decision making process to de-delegate these functions.

A further contribution of £23,134was made voluntarily by participating Academies in the 2014/15 financial year, recognising the value schools place on these arrangements which are designed to maintain services while meeting their legal obligations as employers.

This sum is divided between the unions in line with membership, and Head Teachers are able to claim against this budget when they permit a member of their staff time off to carry out their trade union duties.

Trade union representatives: non schools

The total number of non-school trade union representatives currently entitled to paid time off to carry out their trade union duties in line with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act is as follows. It should be noted that the full time equivalent figure relates to the contracted hours of these employees and not the amount of time spent on trade union activities, which may vary on a day to day basis according to requirements.

Trade union

No of reps

FTE

Unison

10

10.00 GMB

1

1.00 Unite

6.00

UCATT (position vacant)

0.00

AEP

1.00

Only two non schools employees (representing Unison) spent at least 50% of their time carrying out trade union duties. This number decreased to one from January 2015.

Basic estimate of spending on unions: non schools

The cost of complying with Government legislation requiring the council to permit trade union representatives reasonable time off with pay can be calculated as the number of full time equivalent days spent on union duties multiplied by the average salary of trade union officials and representatives divided by the total pay bill.

In terms of non schools employees, it should be noted that only Unison, NUT and ATLhave been in a position to claim facilities time for the whole year as the eligible officials are employed by the council. The GMB has appointed an employee representative who is eligible for facilities time from January 2015. The Unite and NASUWT unions do not currently have Branch Secretaries who are employees of the council and these unionsaretherefore unable to benefit from the council's facilities agreement.

The non school costscurrently borne by the council are:

Estimated number of FTE days spent on union activities (excluding school representatives)

Average salary of trade union representatives (excluding school representatives)

Facilities: 10 x 52 weeks = 520 days

Ad hoc time off: 25 x 14 = 350days

Total estimated days taken = 870 days

FTE days on trade union activities:

870/18 = 48.3FTE days per representative (average)

£ 29,828

(£38,673 including on costs)

Although we are able to calculate precisely the spending against the facilities allocations relating to trade union officials as a percentage of the total pay bill, this is not so straight forward in respect of our localtrade union representatives and union stewards, who are granted time off on an as and when basis.

Additionally, it should be noted that both officials and stewards devote a significant proportion of their own time to these activities.

The ad hoc time off that is granted is not recorded by managers, and therefore we can only estimate these figures in respect of non schools staff as shown in the table above.

The basic estimate of spending on unions calculated as the number of full time equivalent days spent on union duties multiplied by the average salary is:

Annual FTE days (48.3) x Average salary = £29,828.61.

Average union costs per representative = £3,947.18.

Total cost of union representatives (£3,947.18 x 18 representatives) = £71,049 (£92,116 includingon costs).

Basic estimated spending on unions as percentage of the pay bill: non schools

The basic estimated spending on unions as a percentage of the total non-schools paybill is set out in the table below:

Estimated number of FTE days spent on union activities

Estimated spending on unions as a % of total pay bill*

48.3FTE days

0.09%

* Calculated as the estimated number of FTE days spent on union activities x average salary of trade union officials and stewards / total pay bill. Includes on costs.

Facilities and time off arrangements: schools

As the schools are responsible for all matters relating to the staff they employ, the council does not have the necessary information in its possession to provide a complete picture under the specific headings of the Local Government Transparency Code.

However, the following additional information can be ascertained from the data that is in the council's possession.

Head Teachers employing staffcarrying out trade union activities against the schools facilities arrangements are able to claim up to a total of £76,301, which is distributed in proportion with the membership of the relevant trade unions. However, it should be noted that £23,134 of this sum is contributed by Academies under de-delegation arrangements.

It is also appropriate to note that only£41,247.57 was claimed for this purpose in 2013/14 (figures for 2014/15 not yet available).

Only oneschool employee (NUT) carried out 50% or more of their time carrying out trade union duties.

The detailed figures for schoolsemployees are not available as this information is held by individual schools and their HR and Payroll providers.

Information correct as at 30 January 2015. Costs based on 2015/16 pay rates applicable from 1 January 2015.