Bernard Flouquet. (0583481)
THE States is to review the way it deals with its employees in determining pay and conditions.
Deputy chief minister Bernard Flouquet has revealed that whether or not the Public Sector Remuneration Committee retained responsibility for negotiations in future would be decided by the House in a debate.
The announcement comes less than a week after a meeting of the Association of States Employees’ Organisation, which passed a motion to ask the Policy Council to implement a review of the constitution and structure of the PSRC by the end of the year.
The association had claimed the current manner in which the committee operated was an impediment to meeting States objectives of determining pay and conditions for its workers by collective bargaining. It felt that the States had created the situation by failing to implement the findings of two independent reports it had commissioned into its role as an employer.
However, Deputy Flouquet said the council had now accepted the conclusions in the report published in February by Dr Graham Robinson into the role of the States as an employer and that there was a case for reconsidering the way in which it currently handled pay negotiations.
The Robinson report criticised the PSRC for being predominantly narrow and short-term focused on basic pay and lacked flexibility and innovation on pay and personnel matters.
But Deputy Flouquet said the Policy Council was committed to exploring with the employee groups whether it was possible to find a better approach. Work had started but he warned there was no instant solution.
‘One of the things that Dr Robinson suggested was that there should perhaps be a Public Employment Board, which might take over responsibility for negotiating pay and conditions from the committee. The PSRC could then embrace the Policy Council’s role as employer of civil servants and take on the role of an employing body for various other pay groups throughout the public sector.
‘This might be the right solution but to get there involves considerable work including consultation with the unions and employees, at least one States debate and in all likelihood the need to change legislation and to create a new law.
‘I am sure that employees will understand that this is not something that can be completed in a matter of weeks.’
In the meantime the association has been told that the PSRC remains the properly mandated body to deal with pay and conditions.
A date for a tribunal hearing to settle the States manual workers’ dispute for 2008 has been set for 8 September,
It will make a binding award and bring to an end nearly nine months of discussion between Unite, which represents public service workers, and the PSRC.
Article posted on 20th August, 2008 - 11.30am
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