Southwest One
What is being discussed at the contract renegotiation? Read a synopsis
SouthWest One Renegotiations-UNISON Perspective
BUSINESS AS USUAL?
Somerset County Council is currently in the process of renegotiating with Southwest One and IBM around the terms for the remaining 7 years of the
current contract. You will have been invited to one of a number of Staff presentations where it was made clear that SCC are looking for a
contract that can 'flex' against a backdrop of economic and political changes.
UNSETTLING TIMES?
At these same presentations, Unison was given an opportunity to give its perspective on the renegotiations, which it did in good faith,
acknowledging the challenges ahead. Whilst not an apologist for Southwest One and other models of strategic partnership, Unison at least wanted
an opportunity to ensure the individual and professional views of its members were taken into consideration when negotiations or work took place;
through a process of structured consultation. It is Unison's view that for consultation to be meaningful it should be more than an invite to
share views. It should take those views into account.
RUMOUR AND SPECULATION?
Nonetheless, Unison has recently held meetings with the Head of HR, who represent SCC in the HR elements of the renegotiation. The first of these
meetings were Unison's chance to offer any changes to the Staffing Agreement - a document that enshrines the principles of your secondment to
Southwest One - that it considered might be opportune during the renegotiations. As you would expect, Unison offered some comments on key elements
but broadly left the agreement intact, considering it a reasonable document maintaining our existing terms and conditions and underpinning the
secondment model.
WOW?
At the most recent of these meetings, SCC revealed their attitude to the staffing agreement in a direct, challenging and deliberate manner.
Unilaterally, and unprompted by Southwest One or IBM, SCC has assigned a negotiation 'value' to each element, such as Terms and Conditions,
Employer's Policies and Location of workforce; all elements that broadly maintain your links to SCC and the Somerset region. Their intention is to
offer these into the negotiation arena as valuable assets to Southwest One, who, it is alleged, need greater control over some resources to ensure
they can remain viable in a context of 'variable volumes'. By that, read the inability of Southwest One to 'grow the business', and the risk to
business posed by the leading political group at SCC who plan over the next 18 months or so, to radically change the shape and nature of SCC.
There are large contradictions here for SCC.
ASSURED EMPLOYMENT?
The message from SCC to you is simple. You could face either actual or de facto TUPE to Southwest One/IBM if the staffing agreement is torn up in
the way implied. Regardless of what promises were made to you at the outset of this enterprise, your job security, and the terms and conditions you
currently enjoy are in real jeopardy as SCC and IBM tried to resolve the conundrum of Southwest One. Of course, at this stage, SCC will say sagely
that all options are on the table, and that much discussion has to take place during which many of these suggestions may go away. Of course they
will say that.
The secondment model and staffing agreement are the tenuous threads that keep staff engaged in an otherwise, according to the media,
"controversial" contract.
IS THIS A BETRAYAL?
You need to discuss this matter urgently with colleagues and Unison stewards to confirm the view of your branch that we will need to organise to
ensure SCC takes us seriously. This is yet another piece of a jigsaw, which includes the County Plan, attacks on our Redundancy payments and existing
terms and conditions. As secondees in Southwest One, we must remember that we still stand together with our colleagues in SCC and an attack on a
part of it is an attack on the whole.
Speak up! Get involved!
Read Somerset County Council's review of Southwest One
"Public Money, Private Gain" Privatisation of SW local government. West Eye View video
SouthWest One Redundancies and Procurment - read the emails between Matt Jones and Unison. The slides are available to view here