NOVANEWS
27 October 2010
To Corporate Trade Unions
By Post and Email
Dear Colleague
Housing and Constituencies Services Review
Trade Union Consultation – Section 188 Notice
This notice is issued under Section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations
(Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULR(C)A 1992) to advise you of Birmingham City
Council’s proposals which have the potential for redundancies within the Housing
and Constituencies Directorate.
Within the current financial cycle for 2010/11 Constituencies are delivering
significant revenue budget efficiencies. In future years these savings targets
will increase as part of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan for 2011/12
onwards, to respond to the impact of the Government Spending Review. This
will also impact on services funded by Area Based Grant and other time
limited external funding programmes such as Working Neighbourhoods Fund.
There is, therefore, a need to explore and determine how this and future years
financial targets will impact on Constituency Services. Each Constituency has
developed business cases to achieve the required savings this year in
advance of the more far reaching proposals required for future years.
The proposals in the business cases include, but not exclusively, the
following service areas:
•
Community Libraries
•
Community and Play
•
Sports and Leisure
•
Ward Support
•
Management and Administration
•
Constituency Engineers
•
Business cases for each Constituency are attached or will be supplied as part
of the consultation process.
Note – teams affected by the Neighbourhood Office Future Operating Model
are being addressed under a separate process as part of the Customer First
Business Transformation Programme and are not included within this
consultation exercise.
The proposals have a potential to be wide ranging and to affect a cross
section of staff within the Constituencies. Information detailed below will be
subject to further refinement as the position becomes more clearly
understood through ongoing developments and consultations.
School Crossing Patrols
Proposed Approach to Consultations:
Consultation has been ongoing in relation to the 2010/11 efficiencies and their
impact on Constituency staffing in each of the service areas outlined above.
Further consultation is proposed to finalise the 2010/11 budget reductions and
to commence early consultation on the emerging proposals for future years.
The business cases for 2010/11 efficiency proposals have been prepared on
a Constituency basis and it is proposed that each will be brought together on
a service area basis i.e. Community Libraries, Sport and Leisure etc so that
Trade Unions and Staff can engage at a service wide level as well as a
Constituency specific level.
It is proposed that the consultation period should commence on
2010
given that the potential number of redundancies is more than 100. As
consultations progress, the duration of the consultation exercise will be
reviewed and extended where appropriate. We will notify the unions if that is
our intention and will confirm this in writing.
As indicated, both formal and informal consultation meetings have been
taking place with the unions and staff, who are aware of the issues being
faced. The formal collective consultation will, therefore, run in parallel with
on-going communications with staff.
27 Octoberfor a period of at least 90 days in line with the statutory requirement
Strategy to Mitigate the Effects of Redundancy:
The issue of this notice in no way affects the Council’s commitment to take all
reasonable steps to avoid or reduce the numbers of proposed
redundancies, or to mitigate the effects of the potential redundancies. The
Council is committed to seeking to minimise the number of any resulting
redundancies.
A number of actions to avoid the need for compulsory redundancy and to
mitigate its effects have already been introduced across the Council, in
response to the ongoing financial situation. These include:-
•
process to minimise any increase in headcount and to maximise the
Council’s ability to redeploy staff at risk.
The introduction of recruitment controls and a corporate moderation
•
explore suitable, alternative employment within Birmingham City
Council for any displaced staff and facilitating appropriate training and
development opportunities to aid such transition.
Using In-Source services, including the Priority Movers register, to
•
staff to help them in their transition to roles outside the organisation, if
appropriate.
Outplacement support to be provided through In-Source for displaced
•
through the selection process.
Interview technique support for affected staff that will be going
•
Voluntary Redundancy. In addition to this, corporate unions are
currently involved in discussions to support a City wide exercise to
invite staff to apply for voluntary redundancy.
Following earlier initial consultation with trade unions, the Housing and
Constituencies Directorate has introduced options for:
Considering applications for Voluntary Early Retirement and
•
Containing non-employee expenditure and increasing income
•
Deleting posts through natural wastage wherever possible
•
displaced staff
Holding of available vacancies within the Directorate for potentially
•
Reducing the usage of agency and temporary staff
Numbers and descriptions of employees at risk of redundancy
At the date of this notice, the number of employees that are considered as
being potentially at risk of redundancy in this area are
:173 (90.3 fte posts).
Definitive figures for each business case will develop through consultation.
The summary of how these numbers have been reached is attached at
Appendix 1. As part of the consultation process we wish to consult with you
on the numbers that we have identified at Appendix 1. These numbers and
roles may therefore change during the consultation process.
Selection method
The selection method for potential redundancy will be the subject of
consultation with the Trade Unions. The approach to selection will be
informed by any existing corporate policy and/or guidelines on redundancy
selection and organisational design and strategy.
The individuals displaced as a result of the selection process will be at risk of
redundancy and placed on the Priority Movers Register.
Method of carrying out proposed redundancies
Birmingham City Council will seek to make efforts to mitigate potential
redundancies. However, if after meaningful consultation has taken place,
compulsory redundancies are unavoidable, dismissals will be effected by the
issue of notice of termination for the relevant statutory period, in accordance
with the Council’s agreed corporate procedures.
Calculation method of redundancy payments
If Birmingham City Council is not able to secure suitable alternative
employment for staff, resulting in compulsory redundancies, then any
payments will follow the statutory redundancy payment process. However,
weekly pay will be calculated at actual pay and not the capped statutory level.
Yours faithfully
Elaine Elkington
Strategic Director – Housing and Constituencies
APPENDIX 1
Summary Affected Roles*
Total Roles: All Constituencies
People Posts
All Constituencies Total
Roles by Service: All Constituencies
All Constituencies People Posts
173 90.3
Management 1 0.5
Neighbourhood Offices 11 10.5
Libraries 6 3.3
Sports and Leisure 113 52.8
Community Development 42 23.2
Constituency Services 0 0
Engineers 0 0
Total
Total Roles: By Constituency
People Posts
Edgbaston
173 90.30 0
Erdington
19 12.7
Hall Green
94 41.1
Hodge Hill
8 4
Ladywood
30 16
Northfield
1 1
Perry Barr
7 7
Sutton Coldfield
0 0
Selly Oak
2 0.44
Yardley
12 8.1
Total
* All numbers relating to people are assumed until substantive post-holder details can be confirmed
and relates to the 2010/11 business cases. Additional business cases will need to be developed.
173 90.3
Total Number of Employees of Each Description Employed at
the Establ ishment in Question
The employees covered by this consul tat ion not ice are
employed under the condi t ions of employment of the NJC for
Local Government Services Employees body.
Detai ls of the potent ial redundancies analysed by
establ ishment and grade are as fol lows:-
Grade Number of Existing
Posts
Proposed Number of
Posts
Number of Potential
Employees Affected
Grade 1 2 (0.8fte)
Grade 2 9 (5.05fte)
Grade 3 4 (3fte)
Grade 4 12 (10.9fte)
Grade 5 17 (17fte)
Grade 6 1 (1fte)
Grade 7 N/A
Other* 128 (52.6fte)
Total 173 (90.34fte)
The numbers of potent ial redundancies set out in the table
above are correct as at the date of this not ice but they are
subject to change, pending further invest igat ions by the
organisat ion and the outcome of our consul tat ion. We
undertake to not i fy you in wri t ing during consul tation of
changes to these f igures as and when they occur.
The
issue the Not ice at this t ime, and in this way, so as to be as
transparent as possible and to ensure ef fect ive and
meaningful consul tat ion. It is our intent ion to t ry to reduce
the impact of any potent ial changes wi thin the workplace and
we hope that sharing the proposals at this stage wi l l assist
everyone involved.
Appendix 1 ident i f ies numbers of employees wi thin the
“af fected” and “possibly af fected” categories by Di rectorate
and by job role. These total a number of 173 (90.34f te)
Housing and Constituencies Directorate has decided to
* “Other” figure contains information on sessional staff paid at hourly
rates which do not fit within grade structure
