SOULBURY JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES

GUIDANCE TO NUT DIVISIONS

Overview

The NUT is seeking to establish, within each local authority, arrangements that allow the NUT locally to negotiate formally on behalf of Soulbury-paid employees.

Experience has shown that where local Soulbury Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs) have been established, benefits accrue to both Soulbury–paid officers and to the local employer.

Functions of such committees might include:

  • the proper implementation locally of national agreements reached in the Soulbury Committee;
  • arranging consultation of the NUT and other Soulbury unions on the application to Soulbury officers of nationally and locally agreed conditions of service for local government staff;
  • arranging consultation of the NUT and other Soulbury unions on any local amendments and additions to those provisions; and
  • promoting effective industrial relations with Soulbury paid employees and improved implementation of Government initiatives and programmes as they might affect the services provided by those employees.

This briefing sets out the provisions of the Soulbury Report which support the establishment of local consultative arrangements. It gives advice on securing such arrangements where none exist. It includes, as an appendix, the NUT’s model Soulbury JCC Constitution.

Local Consultative Arrangements in the Soulbury Report

The Report of the Soulbury Committee recommends the establishment of local Soulbury JCCs (paragraphs 11.1 and 11.2) as follows:

The Soulbury Committee recommends to local education authorities full recognition of those unions and associations represented on the national body. Such recognition includes the provision of facilities for representatives as accorded to other teaching and non-teaching staff unions and regular consultation with representatives on all questions affecting their conditions of service.

The Committee wishes to encourage local agreements on the appropriate form such consultation should take whether this is by a formal joint committee or by some other explicit and effective means of consultation.

All four of the Soulbury associations – NUT, AEP, ASPECT and NAYCEO - support the establishment of local Soulbury JCCs.

Local recognition and membership on the Officers’ Side of the JCC should be confined solely to the four associations for Soulbury-paid staff. It should not be widened to include any other local government workers union or any other teachers’ organisation.

It is not necessary that representation on any Soulbury JCC should be confined to Soulbury paid employees. Divisions are likely to wish to be involved at least initially. Experience has shown, however, that the establishment of separate consultation arrangements for Soulbury paid employees acts as a useful stimulus to the recruitment of NUT representatives from within the Soulbury paid membership and to self-organisation and support by such members.

The Establishment of a Soulbury JCC

Local authorities may have a range of local JCCs covering various groups of staff. The establishment of a Soulbury JCC should accordingly be seen in the context of already existing local arrangements.

The Soulbury Report provides pay scales and other provisions which are specific to Soulbury paid employees. It is, therefore, appropriate that a separate Soulbury JCC exists to discuss issues that affect only the Soulbury workforce.

The Soulbury Report further provides, however, that the conditions of service for Soulbury paid officers “shall be not less favourable than those prescribed for the local government services staff of the authority”.

Local authority JCCs for local government staff will include representatives from local government unions such as Unison, GMB and Unite. They may not, however, include representatives of Soulbury paid employees.

Should there be no Soulbury non-representation in such cases, consideration will need to be given locally to allowing input from representatives of Soulbury paid employees when changes to their conditions of service are under consideration. This may be achieved by permitting such issues to be discussed also at the Soulbury JCC or alternatively allowing input from Soulbury representatives at the local government staff JCC through membership of that JCC, observer status with speaking rights or through written consultation.

Local NUT Soulbury-paid representatives and division secretaries are, accordingly, encouraged to convene meetings of the appropriate Soulbury representatives of all four Soulbury associations to discuss the support for the establishment of Soulbury JCCs in their local authorities.

An approach should then be made on behalf of those four associations to the relevant officer at the local authority.

The NUT model could usefully be used to inform such discussions.

NUT Model Soulbury JCC

The NUT has produced a model constitution, which will need to be adapted to suit local circumstances, in order to assist NUT representatives in establishing a local Soulbury JCC. The model is attached.

Salaries

January 2008