Health visitor leaders plan industrial action in job evaluation dispute

Health visitor team leaders in part of Scotland are to take industrial action in their dispute with the health board over job evaluation.

Three trade unions representing the staff, RCN Scotland, Unison and Unite, gave formal written notice of the action to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) on Friday.

The unions say the health board has failed to follow nationally agreed job evaluation processes.

The staff plan action short of strike action at this stage.

James O’Connell, regional officer for Unite, said: “Our members are extremely disappointed that they have been forced to take this course of action, it is the last thing they want to do.

“Our members have shown patience and willingness to resolve this dispute, however the direct actions of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde senior management have left them with no other options.

“The continued blatant disregard of agreed processes by NHSGGC will only lead to further action. We urge the board to rectify their behaviour and resolve this dispute without delay.”

The move comes after 12 months of unrest amongst several groups of staff employed by NHSGGC.

The staff plan action short of strike action at this stage (Jeff Moore/PA)

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A group of district nurses threatened industrial action, including strike action, in their own dispute with the health board over job evaluation.

Other sections of the health board’s workforce have recently been on strike over fair pay and banding.

Philip Coghill, RCN Scotland head of pay, terms and conditions, said: “Our members absolutely do not want to take industrial action. They are fully committed to giving safe and effective care to the children and families in their care.

“But they feel undervalued, demoralised and that the actions of the employer have left them no choice.

“It is extremely frustrating to be back in a very similar situation to last year’s dispute with district nurses. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde show no signs of learning from experience that they can’t run roughshod over nationally agreed employment processes followed in other health boards across Scotland.

“We’re seeing a pattern of behaviour that is undermining the health board’s workforce.

“The net result of the health board’s actions are that the health visitor team leaders are working to job descriptions agreed in 2009 that are out of date. But the needs of patients and health visiting practice have changed significantly in the intervening 17 years. That’s letting down parents, children and staff alike.

“It still remains the case that the health board could avert this action by seeing sense and removing the blockages to job evaluation for this essential group of staff.”

Frances Carmichael, branch secretary for Unison, said members are “disappointed” and he called on the Scottish Government to intervene.

“We are disappointed that Unison members are yet again forced to resort to industrial action to secure a proper job description, job evaluation and appropriate back pay. We are frustrated that talks have made so little progress over many months.

“We could have avoidable disruption on the wards and in health visiting in the coming weeks because the health board can’t or won’t follow the rules that give people the right pay rate for the job they do.

“We again ask the Scottish Government to intervene strongly, telling the health board that they must respect frontline health staff and settle these disputes.”

An NHS GGC spokesperson said: “We greatly value the work of our health visitor team leads and fully support the modernisation of roles.

“It is disappointing that we have not yet been able to reach an agreement on the job description, however, we would welcome a further meeting with our trade union colleagues to find a way forward for our staff and for our services.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We value the vital role health visitors play in delivering high-quality care.

“Industrial action is in no-one interests and we encourage all parties to continue engaging constructively to seek a resolution to the dispute and avoid any disruption to services.”