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UK Hydrographic office pay offer update

28 October 2009

We have just been notified that Prospect colleagues have voted to accept the revised pay offer (details below). Management have been advised and Payroll now hove time to implement the offer so it should be included (including back pay) in October salary.

The revised offer has been added to the 'What PCS does at the =20 UKHO' document on http://fishnet/depts/es/estu/pcs_home.asp - and is identified by the legend Issued 21 October 2009 at the top of the page. Password is “PCSMember”

The main changes are:

  • Changes to overtime rates will be introduced but on a phased approach
  • An extra 2.5% non-consolidated pay for those at the top of the scale.

 

The UKHO 2009 Pay Agreement.


1. Context for the 2009 Pay Offer


Following a series of informal and formal meetings of the TU and UKHO negotiating teams an offer was agreed for the 2009 Pay Award.
The current year is challenging one in which to develop a pay offer:
a. a number of Government Departments are in the middle of multi-year deals, agreed before the current economic downturn; this raises the expectations of staff
b. the current financial climate, with negative RPI and CPI around 2%, high unemployment and severe forecasts for public expenditure have created an environment where public sector pay is expected to be impacted
c. recent independent data from the Cabinet Office shows that UKHO salaries vary from the regional market rate, both above and below dependant upon grade
A further challenge facing UKHO is that of changing behaviours, attitudes and ways of working. There are many ways to achieve this, but the performance management and pay structure provides a strong lever to incentivise changes the organisation is seeking to make. This offer seeks to balance all of the above and it is the view of management that it represents a very fair balance, providing a good deal for staff and a good return for the organisation.

2. Background


The offer relates to the period 1st August 2009 to 31st July 2010 for bands A and B (Band C already covered for the same period – see pay notice 1/2009) represented by Prospect and PCS and included in the UKHO Pay and Performance scheme. The offer applies to permanent, fixed term and casual staff employed by the UKHO in bands A and B excluding Retired Officers who are subject to arrangements agreed with MoD.
The offer reflects the 2009 Pay Guidance issued by HM Treasury, current business constraints and circumstances and an agreement to discuss future pay reform.
The pay scale and salary elements of the award is payable with effect from 1st August 2009. This is a combined revalorisation and progression award. Additional elements concerning adjustments to Overtime and Travelling Time have a staged increase as detailed.
The offer will achieve a minimum consolidated pay increase for affected staff working at the UKHO of at least 1.5%. Payment will be made to all staff that have reached a satisfactory level of performance and are not, or have not been, subject to Restoring Efficiency action (performance) during the previous pay year. This figure relates to the maximum amount available for re-valorisation in accordance with guidance from MoD and the Treasury.
Additionally there will be:
· a non-consolidated performance related bonus paid under the agreed Performance Management scheme and
· a UKHO Corporate Bonus payment (non-consolidated).

3. Pay Bands

The scale maxima have been increased by at least 1.5% for grades A2, A1 and B3, by 1.76% in grade B2 and 2% in grade B1 reflecting the market movement and recruitment and retention issues in the different pay grades. All staff, subject to satisfactory performance will therefore receive a consolidated increase of at least 1.5%. All pay steps have been increased. Additionally a non-consolidated cash underpin of 2.5% will be applied so that the value of the consolidated and non-consolidated pay changes when taken together represent a total of a minimum of 2.5%.
The pay progression steps in Grade A2 are to be abolished and a single “spot” rate will be paid in this grade. The number of steps in every other grade in Bands A and B are retained and have been revalorised.
The details of the proposed scales are as follows:
Step 7 B3 £23,340, B2 £29,250, B1 £37,250
Step 6 A1 £16,880, B3 £24,010, B2 £29,896, B1 £37,874
Step 5 A1 £17,353, B3 £24,464, B2 £30,243, B1 £38,502
Step 4 A1 £17,664, B3 £25,164, B2 £31,083, B1 £39,162
Step 3 A1 £18,164, B3 £25,864, B2 £31,753, B1 £39,822
Step 2 A1 £18,664, B3 £26,554, B2 £32,423, B1 £40,492
Step 1 A2 £15,300 A1 £19,520, B3 £27,740, B2 £33,420, B1 £41,070

NB. All changes are effective from 1 August 2009.There will be no additional anniversary pay progression during the period 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010 because the full value of the award will be effective from 1 August 2009.
(i) The preserved pay band maximum for MCTG1 remains unchanged; staff on the max will receive a 1.5% non consolidated pay award. Staff below the max will receive 1.5% or assimilate to the next step on the A1 scale whichever is greater. The minimum is increased to the same level as A1.
(ii) Trainees (on the full 18 week mapping and charting trainee course only) rate will be increased to £ 18,463.

Occurrences of Higher Starting Pay and the use of Recruitment and Retention Allowances to address the impact of market forces continue to be very much the exception and are routinely advised to TU Representatives.


4. Arrangements for Band C

These arrangements were agreed and published in pay notice 1/2009 for the period ending 31 July 2010

5. Order of Processing


In calculating the pay award all staff, who are not on the scale maximum, will take one step from their current pay step, which has then been revalorised, e.g. B3 current salary £ 24,464 Step 5 will move up one step to Step 4 £ 25,164.

6. The UKHO Corporate Bonus 2009


This year it is proposed to continue the payment of a non-consolidated, non-pensionable Corporate Bonus payment to eligible staff employed by the UKHO.
The Corporate Bonus is dependent on the UKHO achieving its 4 key targets and will be revised if any one of these is not achieved.
The Corporate bonus is the value of a week’s pay based on an individual’s annual basic salary as at 31 March divided by 52. There will be a cash underpin of £350 for full time staff pro-rated for part time staff.
E.g. Salary as at 31 March 2010 £26,554 ./. 52 = £510.65 rounds to £511 to be paid.
The bonus continues to be paid to all eligible staff i.e. those employed for at least 6 months of the financial year who have not been subject to restoring efficiency action and who have made a contribution in year to the corporate targets. The bonus is pro-rated for staff joining or leaving in year and for part time staff. (Further details see Pay Notice 1/2005 on fishnet)

7. Performance Management Bonus


The existing performance management arrangements will continue and local discussions will continue concerning structure and process. However, as UKHO seeks to develop an improved performance management culture, there is a move to create greater granularity in the performance management process, assisting managers and staff with developing and improving performance.
At the end of the performance year 2009/10 staff in grades B1 and B2 will be subject to the same performance management process as staff in Band C; however bonus and pay arrangements will not be affected i.e. the existing arrangements for Band B will continue for this reporting year. This change follows the introduction of the pilot programme for Band C introduced for the year 2008/09 and will be subject to on-going review and negotiation before any further changes are introduced. Whilst it is not anticipated that all staff could ultimately be covered by these arrangements a limited cascade may occur subject to negotiation in future years.
The bonus arrangements are otherwise unchanged for Bands A & B.
N.B. all bonus pay is non-consolidated and non pensionable.

8. Leave

There are no proposals for amending the revised annual leave allowances agreed in 2005 as these would reduce the value of the consolidated pay award in accordance with HM Treasury guidelines.
Currently annual leave is 25 days on entry, 27 days after 5 years service and 30 days after 10 years with 2.5 privilege days and 8 bank holidays for full time staff.
The UKHO currently follow the MoD or legal minimum standards (whichever is the greater) for Maternity, Parental, Adoptive and Paternity leave. The UKHO allow up to 3 days leave for Smoking aversion therapy and have a pro-active programme in place in conjunction with our local Occupational Health service or OWS to assist staff in managing smoking addiction and smoking aversion.
The UKHO have a special paid leave policy in place which includes the facility to allow managers to agree up to 5 days leave, without reference to HR, with the intention to respond sympathetically to requests for fertility treatment and disability issues.

9. Allowances

The UKHO will increase the pay related allowances listed below in line with MOD. Any exception to this will be by local agreement with the TUs.
· On-Call and Standby Allowances
· Radio Pager/Mobile Phone
· Standby – meal break
· Limp Shift Allowance

The UKHO continues to be committed to discussing with Prospect/PCS the potential impact of any instances of proposed shift/24 hour working once clarity about business requirements allows meaningful discussions to begin.


10. a) Overtime


Overtime is a valuable tool for managers to use, in a discretionary and infrequent way, to manage unforeseen, or otherwise unmanageable short-term peaks of work. It is not intended to become systemic or embedded in the organisation and the UKHO has a stated intention to significantly reduce overtime through improved planning and management. The arrangements contained in Pay Notice 3/2005 are to be changed for weekday and Saturday worked overtime in stages so that by
1 August 2010 they will be as follows:


All circumstances where overtime may apply must be approved by management in advance of the occasion.

JVB A & B

MONDAY TO FRIDAY Time or TOIL* at plain time

SATURDAY Time and a half payment or TOIL* at time and a half. Payment as follows: Pay at time plus a half time premium, (Premium is pensionable for PCSPS** members)

SUNDAY Double Time payment or TOIL* at double time. Payment as follows:
Pay at time plus a time premium (Premium pensionable for PCSPS** members)

PUBLIC HOLIDAY Double Time payment or TOIL* at double time. Payment as follows: Pay at time plus a time premium (Premium pensionable for PCSPS** members

PRIVILEGE HOLIDAY (Maundy Thursday) Plain Time payment or TOIL* at plain time N.B. The Queens Birthday and Christmas Privilege Holidays are not subject to these payment rules as there is now a two week window for taking these days off.)

ALL TOIL* CLAIMED/TAKEN IS WITH MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

JVB C

The first 2.5 hours per week (Sunday –Saturday) are worked without recompense either by payment or TOIL*. Approved hours in excess of 2.5 hours per week should be taken as Plain Time TOIL. Exceptionally Plain Time can be paid instead of TOIL where this is in the business interest.

* TOIL - Time off in Lieu
** PCSPS – Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme

The effective date for this move will be phased so that the revised arrangements apply:
with effect from 1 April 2010 for grades B1 & B2
and
with effect from 1 August 2010 for all other grades.
(NB the rates are applied to the pay grade of an individual rather than to their substantive grade in accordance with accepted practise)

10.b) Travelling Time

All travelling time for all grades will change to pay at plain time rate with effect from 1 January 2010

All other rules are unchanged (Pay notice 3/2005 will be withdrawn and a revised version posted – (to follow).

 

 

11. Temporary Promotion and Reversion


There is no change proposed to arrangements for pay on T&G or LTTP promotion in bands A & B (see annex B for Band C) and on reversion the principle of cash up/cash down will be applied ensuring staff are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged at the point of reversion.

12. Working hours


There are no proposals to change the current working week of 37 hours as these would reduce the value of the consolidated pay award in accordance with HM Treasury guidelines.

13. Recruitment and Retention Allowances (RRA)


There are no proposals to increase the maximum value of any RRA developed in the UKHO which currently stands at £10,000. Prospect and PCS will continue to be consulted as and when any new RRA needs to be developed.
The UKHO is committed to ongoing consultation regarding the need for higher RRA’s for specific circumstances and will agree these in advance with the approval of the MOD and following consultation with the Trade Unions.

14. Pay implementation


The UKHO has a target to implement the pay in September 2009.

15. Equal Pay


The UKHO is committed to conducting an Equal Pay review following the implementation of this proposed award and will, as in past years, share the results of this work with TU’s.

16. Future Pay Implementation


The UKHO and Prospect/PCS are committed to on-going discussion regarding the future pay proposals following implementation of this agreed pay deal. However should there be a material change in the operation of UKHO business, or to the Treasury Pay Guidelines 2010, or arising from the Cabinet Office discussions with Trade Unions both or either party may seek to re-open the negotiations by giving written notice stating their reasons for review.
As part of these negotiations, UKHO would aim to start/continue discussions with Prospect/PCS in the forthcoming year with a view to:
– continuing improvements in the performance management system associated incentivisation
– ensuring that overtime is properly managed
– seeking opportunities to recognise exceptional performance and competence within the core professions of UKHO
– seeking to jointly resolve the issues and arrangements regarding extended hours and alternative patterns of working for affected areas of the business as the need emerges.
 

 

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