Pay Offer Ballot Begins

Members of public sector unions will vote on whether to take industrial action over the States Employment Board’s pay offer.

Hundreds turned out to a meeting at the Radisson last night where a show of hands indicated overwhelming support for taking action, which could include striking.

The Chairman of JCSA Prospect, Terry Renouf says a meeting between Unions and the SEB yesterday left him feeling ‘exceedingly disappointed’:

“Strike action is not something we want to take if we can avoid it, and we’d much rather work together co-operatively. Everybody is completely fed up. The States is always saying ‘there’s no money available’ but that’s not what we’re seeing in the Medium-Term Financial Plan; money has been put aside for pay awards. There’s also money left over that wasn’t used in Workforce Modernisation – if there’s no money, then where’s that money gone?”

The Chairman of the States Employment Board, Senator Tracey Vallois, says discussions with Unions will continue next month after the members of the board have met:

“We were pleased to hear the concerns of unions regarding the pay review, and the Board will now give careful consideration to the points raised at the meeting… The Board is keen to proceed by agreement if possible and has asked officials to continue discussions with all unions immediately after the next States Employment Board meeting on 5 November, at which we will consider potential next steps.”