News
Equal Pay Implementation
25/02/2010
We are aware of a number of rumours circulating recently to the effect that some staff have received arrears in respect of equal pay. I can confirm that having contacted Corporate HR we are informed no equal pay monies have been paid to any staff.
Click here to download pdf circular
In Branch Secretary Circular CS 01/10 I agreed to provide further updates to members on the implementation of the equal pay terms of settlement which is the purpose this circular.
Firstly, we are aware of a number of rumours circulating recently to the effect that some staff have received arrears in respect of equal pay. I can confirm that having contacted Corporate HR we are informed no equal pay monies have been paid to any staff. From the information provided below members will see that the exercises to facilitate payment are only about to commence. As advised in the equal pay update agreed with Management and circulated in January, implementation of the equal pay terms of settlement will by its very nature be a lengthy process. It involves 13,000 staff for whom career histories have to be validated followed by a validation of the amounts due to be paid.
Validation Exercises
The first validation stage is anticipated to commence within a number of days. Each member of staff in the AA, AO, EOII and analogous/related grades will receive a communication by email detailing their career history held by management. You will be asked to validate this data or alternatively be given an opportunity to raise a query if you believe that data to be incorrect. This process will be undertaken over a period of approximately one week and issued on a Departmental basis. If you do not receive such a communication by 12 March but believe you have served in one of the affected grades entitling you to a payment under the terms of settlement you should raise that matter using the contact details Management will provide in the e-mails to be issued.
Members of staff on long term absences, eg a career break, sick absence or extended periods of leave etc will also be contacted, by letter. Those eligible staff who left service (i.e. on or after 1 August 2008) will also be written to in order to validate their career history details. These letters will be issued within the next few weeks.
Future Action
As stated above this is the first stage of the process. Once completed the second validation exercise relating to the amount of money due to each individual will be undertaken based on validated career histories. When both validation exercises are complete all relevant staff will be required to sign agreements prior to payments being processed. For NIPSA members who are claimants a compromise agreement will be produced. A similar agreement will also be compiled for other staff to sign, i.e. NIPSA members who are not claimants and non-members. Prior to signing these agreements NIPSA will have provided legal advice to members about how their statutory rights are affected by signing such agreements. NIPSA will also be writing directly to the claimants regarding the signing of the compromise agreement at a later stage of the implementation process. We are asking all Branch representatives to encourage non-members to join NIPSA thereby giving them the opportunity of also receiving NIPSA representation on the application of the terms of settlement and to avail of our full range of services, including legal advice in these matters.
Revised Pay Scales
Part of the terms of settlement relates to assimilating AA, AO, EOII and related grades on to revised pay scales as detailed in the document containing the full terms of settlement. Notwithstanding the processes outlined above NIPSA has been in discussions with Management Side seeking to have that assimilation process and payment of associated arrears paid in advance of the compromise and other similar agreements being signed.
Management Side has agreed in principle to taking this course of action. Exactly when that will be possible is dependant upon HR Connect completing the necessary IT amendments to facilitate payment. We are aware that system testing is currently being conducted and await confirmation of its completion and a formal indication of when members could expect to receive the benefit of their revised rates of pay and associated arrears to 1 February 2009 in their salaries.
NIO, PSNI AND NDPB’s
NIPSA has written to Management in the NIO, PSNI and a range of NDPBs who apply NICS rates of pay about the application of the terms of settlement in their organisation. Discussions have commenced in a number of these areas and for others we await arrangements for taking discussions forward. At present we have received a mixed response and are continuing to press these bodies to provide confirmation that the terms of settlement will be implemented in respect of revised rates of pay and compensation lump sum payments.
As implementation of equal pay develops in the NICS and other bodies further circulars will be issued to update members. Updates can also be accessed through the NIPSA website www.nipsa.org.uk.
Yours sincerely
KIERAN BANNON
Assistant General Secretary
« back