Newsletter for Duty Managers, February 2010: Grade Progression?

newsletterClick '1 attachment' / file name to download this newsletter. Read the text below.

The final meeting of the Operational Managers Review took place to further discuss the Grade Progression. At the end of the meeting TSSA and BTOG decided they would offer it up to their members with a recommendation of acceptance (ASLEF were not represented at this important meeting). The RMT rejected it and intend to do so at the next Company Council Feb 17th.

The reasons for this decision are as follows. The document instead of offering a fair and effective way of moving Duty Managers through the grade, is a tool for management to control your salary with decisions on this made by middle management (Centurions and Performance Managers). Management wanted to introduce the scheme at nil or nearly nil cost to get the most out of their Duty Managers, with little effect on their budget.

If (in their opinion) your skills don’t match the skills expected of you according to your salary, you basically can be performance managed out the door.

10. Introduction of the of the Grade Progression scheme
10.1 The pay aspects of the Duty Managers’ Grade Progression scheme will be introduced in 2010/2011.
10.2 If on initial assessment a Duty Manager’s skills are considered not to be at a level commensurate to their current salary, then the individual will be given a developmental period of up to 24 months in which they can acquire the necessary skills level with no effect on their current salary
10.3 If after the developmental period, the Duty Manager’s skills are still considered not to be at a level commensurate to their salary, LU may use normal performance management support and action to encourage the required skills improvement.
10.4 Performance management action may also be taken to address skills gaps that arise following introduction of the scheme.

If you happen to make your way up the pay scale via the grade progression and your manager decides you are not maintaining your skills level, your pay can be frozen. Meaning you would not receive the full benefit of your negotiated annual cost of living pay rise, you would effectively be getting a pay cut.

11. Failure to maintain skills and competences following progression under the scheme
11.1 At any time after introduction of the Grade Progression scheme a Duty Manager who has been financially rewarded and whose skills are not maintained at a level commensurate to their enhanced salary following progression will be given a 12 month developmental period in which they can re-acquire the necessary skills level with no effect on their current salary
11.2 If after the 12 month developmental period, the Duty Manager’s skills are still considered not to be at a level commensurate to their enhanced salary, then any further salary increases will be paid as a non-consolidated lump sum. This arrangement will continue until the Duty Manager has either attained the appropriate skill level, or their enhanced salary falls within the appropriate level within the grade progression.

In our view these alone are open to abuse, in the same way the term “business needs” is abused on a regular basis. Just look at the way this term came up time and time again on the introduction of rosters a lot of you formerly rejected. On the above two points alone the RMT do not understand how any other union could accept these terms for their membership. We would not accept any form of pay freeze and was immediately rejected by the RMT. We are disappointed the other unions have decided to go down the road of agreeing this and urge them to reconsider.

If you look further into the agreement you will see, that once you have been placed in a box relative to your skills, the only way through that box is with PRP. Now we all know how cost effective that is for management.

Again the RMT have made it evident we are an ALL GRADES UNION and we fight for every job. We have seen this all before and are amazed any other union would fall for this!

You can contact your RMT MATS Rep: Roy Carey on 07764-650874