Buckinghamshire Local Government Branches AGM Presentation – March 2015

Membership Formal recognition with primary employers Membership levels at least 50% An organising plan to expand membership and recognition into unorganised employers delivering relevant public services New employees are quickly approached by the UNISON steward.

Membership Recognition5 50% density0 Plan to expand membership to unorganised workplaces 0 Approach new employees quickly 2

Organisation Workplaces and departments have a steward, a health & safety representative, and a learning representative the branch uses the membership system to map the membership and plan campaigns. All stewards know who their members are and can identify non-members there is a branch support structure for trained and active UNISON learning representatives the branch works to a development and organising plan

Organisation Steward for each workplace, department 1 H&S rep for each workplace, department 1 RMS to map membership and plan campaigns 0 Trained and active UNISON learning reps 1 Works to development and organising plan 5

Participation All members on the branch distribution system and quarterly mailings/newsletters sent out Regular, effective, well-attended meetings Participation by all members regardless of equality strand, working hours or employer Quorate branch AGM or significant participation in branch elections Regular branch attendance at Regional and National Conferences, including those for self-organised group, young members and retired members Proportionality and fair representation among branch office holders and delegations

Participation All members on distribution list2 Regular, effective, well-attended meetings 4 Participation of all members regardless of equality strand 4 Quorate branch AGM, participation in elections 3 Regular attendance at Regional and National Conferences 1 Proportionality and fair representation for branch office holders 5

Representation and bargaining active bargaining with all employers to take forward UNISON members’ agenda, not just respond to employer demands all members consulted on all bargaining issues relating to them conditions of service, policies and procedures are broadly better than other similar employers all representatives trained disciplinary and grievance cases are dealt with by the branch up to and including final employer level the branch supports a Labour Link section the branch maintains dialogue and builds relationships with key decision- makers and potential allies and campaigns for policy and political changes that will benefit members

Representation and Bargaining Active bargaining machinery on members’ agenda 5 All members consulted on all bargaining issues 5 Conditions of service, policies, procedures better than others 2 All reps trained to stage 1 ERA3 All disciplinary and grievance cases dealt with by branch to final employer level 4 Labour Link section actively engaged1 Dialogue and build relationships with key decision makers 3

Branch administration a communication and support system for representatives to ensure that all parts of the branch work together a system of mapping and monitoring equality in participation and service delivery. efficient processing of membership applications and maintaining accurate membership records. use of IT for communications and membership data.

Branch Administration Communication and support to reps 4 Mapping and monitoring equality in participation 0 Efficient processing of membership applications, accurate records 5 Use of IT for comms and RMS 3

Bucks County Good communications including social media Good representation at present Regular meetings Send people to conferences, training days etc Respond to challenges from employer or members with limited activists, not afraid to challenge appropriately in a pragmatic fashion Participating in outside groups – Trades Council Good at welfare Retired members activities, trips, meetings

Bucks County Future Shape- constant restructures, outsourcing, new Trusts, partnerships with other authorities, academies Bucks Law plus – rewards for picking up clients outside of work Children’s Services OFSTED report failed, 85% agency social workers Increase in mental health issues and very complex cases Facility Time arrangements in BCC are changing, Branch Sec to be 3.5 then 2.5 days a week Employee reps Recruitment rates and caseload brought in by them Branch Secretary taking voluntary redundancy, newer stewards taking on representation. CBP

Nice team of Committee members mutual respect, full time employee, inclusive. Membership – largest within schools, geographically scattered. Open door policy for members but not with Chief Executive and Councillors, unlike the employee reps. Relationship with Councillors has diminished over years. Some difficulties recruiting activists in context of Employee Rep system.

Future Shape: widespread exploration of alternative service delivery models: coops, mutuals, LATCs etc Bucks County looking at partnership working Pathfinder proposals are recent history Wycombe payroll provided by Aylesbury Vale, along with the other 2 District Councils Chiltern runs the waste service for Wycombe alongside the shared service with S Bucks Aylesbury Vale involved in IT provision for Chiltern & S Bucks Chiltern & S Bucks now under shared management Unitary status now an ambition for Aylesbury Vale

Branch Membership 5 Councils Housing Associations Academy Schools & FE Colleges Community, Voluntary & Private Sector Fire & Rescue Service

Branch Structure Branch Committee Aylesbury Vale Section Bucks County Section Chiltern & South Bucks Section Wycombe Section

Structure of a Section Convenor Section Committee: Stewards and Representatives Members

Membership Stewards, Reps and Convenor for Section all still BCC employees, working to a plan to recruit new members and attain 50% membership level Plan supported by Branch Committee: input of ideas from wider group and finance provided for plan

Organisation A more robust plan in place to train and support stewards and reps from all sections Locally based courses and locally based administration of education

Participation Regular communications to all through a variety of formats – , newsletter, social media etc Local Meetings for local issues Branch Meetings for all employers – share info and ideas Aggregate AGMs – one in every section – quorate Attendance and feed back from Regional and National conferences – no financial deductions

Representation & Bargaining Bargaining, representation and consultation still done locally with employer by BCC reps Opportunity to access information and share knowledge between Councils and Sections Opportunity to build up relationship with Councillors and decision makers across the County with joined up information County-wide Labour link section Branch caseworker to pick up representation and bargaining where there are no local stewards and reps – eg smaller employers

Branch Administration Centrally-based administrator employed by branch to ensure membership applications and queries dealt with efficiently and effectively Direct telephone and contact point for branch Centralised support and communications system for stewards and reps

Motion to Branch AGM This UNISON branch agrees to be part of a formal merger with other local government branches in Buckinghamshire with increased access to funding and resources in Buckinghamshire, with a target inauguration date of 1 July This branch mandates it’s Branch Committee to enter into discussions with the Committees of the other branches involved in Buckinghamshire to agree: 1) a new Branch structure and arrangements for the organisation of members including sectional arrangements for lead employers, of which Buckinghamshire County Council would be one; 2) financial arrangements which provide for a fair distribution of resources and which are of the greatest benefit to the members of this branch; 3) draft rules and procedures for the new branch. The proposed merged Branch Rules shall be put to the membership of all branches involved for agreement by postal ballot.”.