Today, employers and Trade Unions from the ambulance service met to discuss issues around changes to Annex E.
Employers agreed to suspend unsocial hours payment deductions to staff absent due to sickness and trade unions agreed to suspend their industrial action ballots. We have therefore jointly agreed that:
- Genuine and constructive talks will be held on what unsocial hours arrangements should apply during sickness absence including the potential application of Section 2 and options to change Annex E.
- Deductions from Annex E payments will cease with immediate effect, with no back dating to 01 September 2013 and no deductions will be processed for October.
- Monies deducted from Annex E payments to date will be repaid in February.
Terms of Reference will be agreed which set out the scope, key dates and reporting mechanisms for the negotiations, which will conclude by 1 February 2014.
Both sides will put review dates in place to make sure the negotiations are constructive and progress as set out in the Terms of Reference.
As a gesture of goodwill, employers have agreed that if positive progress is made by the 1 December, September deductions will be repaid in December.
