The Staff Side Council has recently agreed a range of new documents offering advice and best practice on AFC. We are aware that employers responding to a number of external and internal pressures have attempted to short circuit agreed national procedures. This has resulted in a number of seemingly intractable disputes at a local level. We cannot afford as a trade union to become as bogged down in AFC as we were with nurse clinical grading where the last appeal was heard some sixteen years after it was introduced! But at the same time we are committed at establishing fair outcomes for members. Our main concern is that these local disputes are distracting from post assimilation grading campaigns and against the fragmentation of health services. We are encouraging representatives to use these policies where they may prove useful.
In the pack of four is:
- A policy document on mainstreaming Job Evaluation detailing how the principles underpinning AFC continues with new or developing posts after assimilation of current potholders has taken place.
- Best practice guidance on the conduct of reviews.
- The blocked local matching procedure has been produced following impasses reached at a number of employers. It explains how these impasses can be breached involving outside bodies.
- AThe struggling organisations protocol was introduced following major issues arising out of the implementation of AFC at one early implementer site. It is an older document than the other three but makes up your four pack.
If you have any question arising from this edition of Reps Direct please contact your Regional Officer.