Take it now or it gets worse

Quarriers Executive today made a final offer to UNISON. This offer involves staff in frontline jobs taking a pay cut of up to 19.5% (£4,000 for a Suppoprt Worker), a cut in sick pay from 6 months full and half to 3 months full pay and half pay, redeployment protection removed, travel expenses only to be paid for 3 months only, no more negotiations for pay rises, no automatic incremental rise.

They have told UNISON Quarriers Branch that if we reject this offer OR we do not reply by 5 pm on the 10th August 2011 they will then move to hold individual meetings with everyone and then potentially the termination and re-engagement on even worse conditions. This will mean cuts in pay up to 23%, sick pay not being paid for the first three days of sickness and cuts in sick pay, redeployment protection and travel expenses being removed completely and Pension contributions will rise by 3%.

This would seem to be an offer which leaves everyone with very little choice. THIS IS NOT THE ACTION OF A CARING EMPLOYER!!!

We are due to meet the Executive early next week.

In the meantime we are gathering all the legal advice from UNISON and preparing our ballot. We will be sending out a letter to every member on Friday with the whole picture, detailing what we have done, what the talks have produced and dispelling some of the myths being put out by Quarriers.