In the GMB June Newsletter we explained that Birmingham City Council intended making offers to the above workers to buy out their Equal Pay claims. This Newsletter seeks to update you further.

It is still Birmingham City Council’s intention to make offers to these workers although the time frame has been the subject of delay; the Council is still working to the same deadlines. The Council want to complete the whole exercise before February 2009, as they have had a postponement from the Employment Tribunal until February 2009.

The Council has circulated a letter to Head Teachers & Chairs of Governing Bodies of Community & Controlled Schools - this communication addresses the following points;

·        Encourages Schools to agree to the offers being made

·        Details Government loans to fund the offers

·        Provides spreadsheets to explain how the offers are being calculated

If your job is included in the list on top of this Newsletter then you should be asked to confirm the job you do; how many hours a week you work and how long you have been employed.  These details make a difference to the offer and so it is important that the Schools’ data is correct.

The School will not tell you how much your offer will be.

None Trade Union members will be given their offer directly by the Council and will have to deal with matters on their own or pay a percentage of the offer if they want to be represented by private Solicitors.

GMB members will not be given their offer directly from the Council.  GMB Union members will receive different and better treatment. Thompsons Solicitors are acting on their behalf and Thompsons Solicitors will contact you to explain the offer and give you support and advice. Thompsons Solicitors will take you through the entire process. This invaluable service is completely free to all GMB members.

If any GMB member is contacted directly by the Council with an offer, they should not reply, they should do one of the following:

·        If you have been previously notified that you have had a grievance lodged and received contact from Thompsons Solicitors then telephone Zaf Aktar, Thompsons on 0121 262 1200.           

·        If you are unsure whether a grievance has been lodged and you have not had any correspondence from Thompsons Solicitors contact this GMB Regional Office on 0121 550 4888.

The Council may not be making offers at all to former employees if they have not lodged an equal pay claim or if they are not in receipt of GMB/Thompsons Solicitors representation. Casual employees’ cases are more complex and we recommend GMB members in this category to contact us separately.

The Council, on this occasion, is only considering making offers to Staff on manual grades paid up to scale point 9.

General Assistants qualify for an offer if they are employed as Lunchtime Supervisors, Catering Assistants, Cleaners, Domestics, Cooks. Those not included in these offers are Staff who are paid monthly and General Assistants undertaking the role of Teaching Assistant, Administration Assistant or Clerical Assistant etc.

The Council’s offer will not represent the full value of your claim.  The Council want to settle as cheaply as possible. The less they pay out, the less they borrow, the less interest has to be paid. The Council intend to start making payments in November 2008, they hope that employees will settle for a reduced payment just before Christmas rather than wait for the case to be heard early next year.

Those employees who want to accept the offer will not receive any money until they have signed a legal document which takes away any rights to take their equal pay claim to Court. The Council has set up special signing days.  Details may change but at present the details of those meetings are as follows:

SCHOOLS SETTLEMENT DAYS

Those GMB members who do not want to accept the Council’s offer and those GMB members who are not included in these offers should rest assured that the GMB’s commitment to pursue these legal claims remains unwavering.

To obtain the latest information about pay and grading please contact our regional website at:   

www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

or

GMB Education Representatives at the Martineau Education Centre, Balden Road, Harborne, Birmingham. B32 2EH  -  Tel: 0121 675 8036

GMB – BRITAIN’S GENERAL UNION

WILL THORNE HOUSE, 2 BIRMINGHAM ROAD, HALESOWEN, WEST MIDLANDS. B63 3HP

TEL: 0121 550 4888                          FAX: 0121 550 4272