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Industrial Action – 26, 27 and 28 September – plan ahead

We have been notified by Unison and GMB of their intention to take strike action on Tuesday 26, Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 September 2023.

The strike is in response to on-going, national pay negotiations being managed by COSLA on behalf of all Scottish local authorities.

As a result, all schools and early learning and childcare (ELC) establishments based in primary schools, as well as  Foxlea, Glenfield and Moorpark ELC Centres, will be closed.

All other standalone nurseries will be open to both our children and staff.

Staff who work in a premise that will be closed on strike days and are not striking are asked to work from home unless they can’t, in which case they should go to their next nearest available council premise.

They must notify the responsible officer for their cluster that they have presented for work (see details in the FAQ below).

We wanted to give you as much notice as possible, so you can make alternative childcare arrangements for the strike days.

While the Council has been formally notified by trade unions of their intention to strike, there is also the possibility that through ongoing negotiations the strike may not take place. We will update you if the position changes.

Thanks

Chris Dalrymple

Head of Facilities and Property Services

Industrial Action – Local Government Employees

Employee FAQs

The decision has been taken to close all schools and early learning and childcare establishments based in primary schools as well as Glenfield, Moorpark and Foxlea ELCCs within Renfrewshire.

These closures follow ballots for industrial action by local government employees who provide services to the running and operation of our schools in Renfrewshire. UNISON and GMB have noted that the dates of strike will be as follows:

• Tuesday 26 September 2023
• Wednesday 27 September 2023
• Thursday 28 September 2023.

What does this mean?

At this time, all schools and early learning and childcare establishments based in primary schools as well as Glenfield, Moorpark and Foxlea ELCCs within Renfrewshire will be closed on the following dates:

• Tuesday 26 September 2023
• Wednesday 27 September 2023
• Thursday 28 September 2023.

The following standalone nurseries will operate as normal. If a nursery is not listed below, it will be closed on the strike days. 

• Dargavel ELCC
• Douglas Street ELCC
• Ferguslie ELCC
• Glenburn ELCC
• Glendee ELCC
• Hillview ELCC
• Hugh Smiley ELCC
• Kirklandneuk ELCC
• Lochfield ELCC
• Paisley ELCC
• Spateston ELCC
• West Johnstone ELCC.

As a manager, what am I expected to do on the day(s) of Industrial Action?

Recording attendance on the days of industrial action – Local Government and Teaching Staff

There will be a requirement for all employees – Local Government and Teaching Staff to notify their service of their attendance for work.

Whilst noting that a number of employees may be working from home on the days of industrial action, it is incumbent upon each employee to ensure that they are registered to ensure that they are paid for the days of industrial action.

Failure to notify the undernoted responsible officers who will record those who have presented for work will result in strike deductions being taken from your salary.

This process will be managed by the following officers:

For all Soft FM employees – please contact the Soft FM Officer/Assistant Facilities Manager for your Cluster:

Cluster 1

Morning – David Boyce – 07483 918393

Afternoon – Yvonne Graham – 07483 343020

Cluster 2

Morning and Afternoon – Gary Baker – 07483 947511

Cluster 3

Morning – David Healy – 07483 921265

Afternoon – Roberta Grant – 07483 921266

Cluster 4

Morning – Claire Sleeth – 07483 921267

Afternoon – Susan Allan – 07970 745198

Cluster 5

Morning – Brian Connelly – 07483 405621

Afternoon – Cheryl Barr – 07483 411473

For all Children’s Services employees – please contact your Headteacher or Head of Centre to record your attendance for work.

It is an individual’s right to participate in official industrial action. Therefore, we ask that managers respect this right and ensure they do not unconsciously influence this decision in any way.

What is involved in taking strike action?

Strike action involves removing your labour by refusing to work on Tuesday 26 September 2023; Wednesday 27 September 2023 and Thursday 28 September 2023.

Who is eligible to take industrial action?

The following trade unions have given formal notice, that local government employees will participate in the industrial action on 26, 27 and 28 September 2023:

• GMB
• UNISON.

I’m not in the trade unions identified. Would I be expected to take industrial action?

No. Only those employees within the relevant trade unions who met the ballot thresholds are eligible to participate in the planned industrial action on 26, 27 and 28 September 2023.

I am a non-union member can I strike to support my colleagues?

Only Trade Union members can participate in any strike action arranged by their Trade Union. Any other absences must be covered by the relevant policy (e.g., Maternity Leave etc).

If you choose to participate in the day(s) of industrial action, or you do not present for work on an online capacity and register your attendance at work you will receive no pay for that day(s).

What if I present for work on the days of industrial action but my school is not open?

If you are not able to work from home, you should go to your next nearest available council premises, contact the relevant number for your service area as identified above and confirm with them that you have presented for work.

My child’s school is closed, who will look after my children if I am expected to report to work?

You should make appropriate alternative arrangements for your children to be looked after whilst you attend work.

What happens if I take part in industrial action?

Any employee who participates in the day(s) of industrial action will be recorded as “Unauthorised Absence”.

How will my pay be impacted?

Employees who participate in the day(s) of industrial action, or do not present for work online and ensure that their presence is recorded by one of the named officers above will receive no pay for that day.

The strike pay deductions will be taken from your salary, based on your pay frequency as follows:

How does industrial action impact the sick pay scheme for Local Government Employees?

There will be further notification requirements in place on the 26, 27 and 28 September 2023, meaning that any sickness absence will have to be supported by a fit note. Employees already absent through illness, supported by a fit note covering those days, will not be impacted and will continue to receive sick pay without further notification.

I am a Local Government Employee, what if I am unwell on any of the days of the industrial action?

If you are a local government employee and you take unwell on any of the days identified for industrial action, you should follow the normal notification procedures to make your line manager aware of this.

Thereafter, you should contact your doctor to provide you with a fit note covering any days of absence. If a fee is incurred for obtaining this, you may claim to have this expense reimbursed in the usual manner. Make sure that you retain proof of payment, if you wish to do so. You will not be eligible for sick pay for any absence on the 26, 27 and 28 September 2023 that is not supported by a fit note.

If I am on maternity/paternity/family leave, what do I have to do?

As you are on leave you cannot at the same time be on strike and should not lose pay.

I am employed in a school as 52-week administrative support, can I submit an annual leave request for any/all of the days of industrial action?

No, you will not be authorised to take any annual leave for the days of industrial action if you submitted your request after 7 September 2023.

Will my pension contributions be impacted?

Periods of absence from your workplace due to industrial action are regarded as ‘non-pensionable’. No scheme contributions are deducted for any period you spend on strike and, therefore, any earnings lost through industrial action are not included in your benefit calculations.

There’s also no provision to pay back contributions directly relating to strike days, but, there are other options to increase your benefits that you may want to consider following a prolonged period of industrial action.

Please contact spfo@glasgow.gov.uk for more information or call 0345 890 8999.

If I am in my last year of work before retirement how will taking industrial action affect me?

Being on industrial action, for example for 1 day, will mean that your total pensionable service would be 1 day less.

Please contact spfo@glasgow.gov.uk for more information or call 0345 890 8999 so that you fully understand the implications on your pension.

Does a day of strike action count as a break in my employment?

No, being on strike does not break the service of any employee, including employees on temporary contracts.

The Employment Rights Act provides that continuity of employment is not broken by strike action (s.216 (1) and (2)). In other words, any day on which an employee is on strike is not counted in the period of continuous employment but it does not break continuous employment.

What happens if I am job-share or part-time and I do not work on the day of strike action?

If it is not a working day for you then you cannot take strike action on that day.

Are there any exemptions from industrial action?

Exemptions are applied to service areas where it is providing a ‘life or limb’ provision and where agreement has been reached with the trade unions.

The following exemptions have been agreed; however, you must make contact with your trade union to be provided with an exemption letter:

1. Pregnant employees who have provided us with their MATB1 certificate and have provided a confirmation of expected week of confinement
2. Retiring employees who have submitted their retirement paperwork and who have a set retirement date already in place.

Is there any guidance on official picket lines?

The UK Government code of practice on Picketing, which can be found at: Code of Practice: picketing – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) states “Pickets and their organisers should ensure that in general the numbers of pickets does not exceed six at any entrance to, or exit from a workplace”. Picketing is deemed lawful if it is carried out by a person attending at or near the place of work, they report to. This ruling applies to all pickets with the exception of union officials representing members in disputes.

Employees who approach a picket line may be spoken to, given a leaflet and the reason for the industrial action may be explained to them in a polite, respectful manner. The picket does not have the power under law to require people to stop or to compel them to listen. Any employee who decides to cross a picket line must be allowed to do so. Any reports of inappropriate behaviour will be addressed through the Council’s agreed procedures.

What Health and Safety arrangements are in place?

For those 52-week early learning and childcare establishments that are open, services must ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for Fire Evacuation, First Aid Cover and Lone Working. Covid-sense advice provided by the Scottish Government is already included within the Council’s existing Health and Safety workplace measures.

If you have any health and safety enquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact the Corporate Health and Safety team via Steven Fanning, Principal HR adviser on steven.fanning@renfrewshire.gov.uk or telephone 07747790211.