This Is Guernsey

By Simon Tostevin

A TRIBUNAL hearing to settle the States manual workers’ pay and conditions dispute will be held on 8 September.

It will make a binding award and in doing so bring to an end nearly nine months of discussion between Unite and the Public Sector Remuneration Committee.

There was a strike on 21 July and a second one is said to be likely, perhaps as soon as the bank holiday weekend.

Unite regional industrial organiser Ron Le Cras (pictured) has refused to deny or confirm that a date has been set.

The tribunal is set to go ahead at St Pierre Park Hotel and details of the panel members will be displayed at the Greffe shortly.

And although he refused to comment on whether further industrial action was going to take place, Mr Le Cras said that if it did, he imagined it would take a similar form to that of July.

He did not believe that a work to rule, mentioned by Association of States Employee Organisations chairman Chris Torode at the weekend, would be an appropriate course of action instead.

That could include a refusal to work voluntary overtime, teachers not supervising students at breaks and people refusing to provide cover when colleagues on other shifts were sick.

‘If the teachers’ union was going to do something, they could do that but it would be added on top of whatever we might or might not do,’ said Mr Le Cras yesterday.

‘We have heard nothing from nobody since last week and as far as I’m concerned if there is industrial action, it’s firmly at the door of the Public Sector Remuneration Committee for not having the will to negotiate and for breaking the mandate that they were given by the States.’

Industrial disputes officer Michael Fooks was unable to get the sides to agree before the matter was referred to a tribunal last week. He expected little delay after the completion of the tribunal and a result being announced.

But Mr Le Cras feared it could take as long as three weeks before a decision is announced.

Mr Fooks said: ‘Sometimes the decision doesn’t take very long to come out. Sometimes it’s just a couple of days.’

Public service workers refused a 3% pay offer for this year and previously asked for RPI of 4.9% plus 3%.

It is understood that before talks once again failed, negotiators nearly accepted a pay and benefits package that could have been above the cost of living.

The informal offer was said to be close to 4.9% with additional benefits including extra dirt money and tool allowances on top.

Article posted on 19th August, 2008 - 1.00pm