Joint memorandum submitted by the Public
and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and UNISON
INTRODUCTION AND
SUMMARY
1. The Public and Commercial Services Union
(PCS) is the trade union representing civil and public servants
in central government. PCS represents 320,000 members in over
200 departments and agencies and has 300 members working in Ofsted.
UNISON represents 1.3 million members consisting of frontline
staff and managers working in local authorities, the NHS, the
police service, colleges and schools, the electricity, gas and
water industries, transport and the voluntary sector and has 700
members working in Ofsted.
2. We welcome this timely inquiry as much
of it impacts directly on our members, who undertake a wide variety
of jobs in Ofsted, including call centre workers at the National
Business Unit in Manchester, administrative staff, managers and
inspectors and inspection managers of childcare/early education
and social care
3. This response focuses on issues which
affect members of PCS and UNISON employed by Ofsted and the current
pay dispute between Ofsted and our unions:
— Ofsted is in dispute with PCS and
UNISON.
— Some staff are facing a zero pay
award, with others offered below inflation rises.
— Senior staff are set to receive significantly
better deals than lower paid staff.
— Working conditions have led to stress
and low staff morale.
— Imposition of the pay award may lead
to industrial action.
OFSTED PAY
DISPUTE WITH
PCS AND UNISON
4. PCS and UNISON are currently in dispute
with Ofsted over the imposition of a three year pay award which
was rejected by 82% of PCS members and 94% of UNISON members.
5. Restructuring of the pay system at Ofsted
means that this pay award delivers a zero pay award for significant
numbers of staff for at least two of the three years. The majority
of Ofsted staff will receive pay increases below the Retail Price
Index (RPI) rate of inflation, with a third of all staff receiving
increases of 2% or less—below even the Consumer Price Index
(CPI) rate of inflation. Unlike other parts of the public sector
staff in Ofsted do not have any incremental or progression payments
in addition to cost-of-living awards.
6. Despite these real terms pay cuts for
the majority of our members in Ofsted, over 40% of senior inspection
staff are due to receive increases of over 6% per year in the
first two years of the award.
7. PCS and UNISON believe that the current
Treasury approach to public sector pay has prevented Ofsted from
securing the necessary funds to achieve the major restructuring
it requires and has had to make savings on staff pay as a result.
8. These savings have been made in such
a way as to create "winners and losers" which is proving
divisive and damaging to staff morale.
9. The last staff survey by Ofsted revealed
an increase in stress and low morale and a rise in the incidence
of bullying and harassment.
10. The imposition of the pay award has
left PCS and UNISON with little choice other than to consider
industrial action. This decision has not been taken lightly, as
a protracted dispute could impede the organisation's ability to
respond to the challenges it faces in the year ahead.
11. We would be happy to supplement this
written evidence with oral evidence on both the work of Ofsted
and the pay issues.
May 2008
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