Health visitors in Glasgow to take strike action over pay

Health visitor team leaders represented by three trade unions have today gave their formal notice of intention to take short of strike action through work-to-rule.

This means workers will only perform their jobs as per their original 2009 job description.

Bosses at RCN Scotland, Unisons and Unite, say their members have been left with no option but to take the action as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) has failed to follow nationally agreed job evaluation processes.  

Meanwhile, GCC have called the decision to take industrial action "disappointing" and have affirmed their position that they value the Health Visitor Team Leaders and support the modernisation of their roles.

Philip Coghill, RCN Scotland Head of 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health board’s actions are that the health visitor team leaders are working to job descriptions agreed in 2009 that are out of date.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.” 

The joint-unions claim that throughout the dispute NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has refused to follow the agreed once for Scotland job evaluation process, despite an updated job description being signed off by local managers and submitted for evaluation.  

Further claims say that the health board’s HR department put a series of additional layers of sign off in place at odds with the nationally agreed process and also requested various changes to the job description even though it had already been agreed by local managers.  

The staff are still waiting for a job evaluation panel to consider their application. 

Frances Carmichael, Branch Secretary, UNISON NHS Glasgow, Clyde & CVS, said: "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." 

James O’Connell, Regional Officer from Unite the Union, 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 & Clyde senior management have left them with no other options.  

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

A spokesperson for NHS GCC, 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."