1. Speech and Language Therapists equal pay settlement. A final settlement has now been reached in this landmark case. It is the largest ever equal pay settlement in UK history. It transforms the career structure for speech and language therapists and gives awards costing the NHS some £12 million to 351 MSF members. In addition, complete new grading structure has been agreed.
A copy of the Advance Letter being sent out next week, together with the MSF Guidance on implementing the new grading structure, will be sent to all MSF speech and language therapy representatives. Management has now agreed to send out immediately the Advance Letter implementing the SALT equal pay settlement. Individual letters to all members who have been successful and to that have not have been prepared.
2. PTB pay. All local PTB representatives should now have received a copy of a detailed summary of the current pay situation and the settlement of the current pay round We are now finalising arrangements for the working group to consider recruitment and retention issues for PTB staff and expect to be able to publicise this next week. A copy of the circular to PTB representatives is attached.
3. Other MSF groups outside the Pay Review Body. Each MSF group is now arranging a meeting to determine its response in the light of the fact that there will be no extra monies this year. In particular we have been seeking the establishment of a working group for each Whitley Council to be established on the lines of the PTB working group.
4. Job evaluation scheme Agenda for Change. The final complete set of sites for testing the factor design and the jobs to be tested has been agreed. And has been circulated to staff side committees in the affected employers. MSF is involved in the national evaluation of this exercise via representatives and regional officers. At local level, all MSF representatives in the affected trusts should be liaising closely with their regional officers and staff side colleagues.
Discussions on other aspects of Agenda for Change are continuing. A detailed briefing will be contained in the next NHS NEWS
5. Holidays and average pay under the Working Time Directive. Advice on this will be circulated next week via the FAX and E: mail services and will reproduced in the June NHS NEWS. Examples of good agreements are sought and should be sent to Colin Adkins (NHS Office)and Steve Sloan (RO Caerphilly) , preferably by E-mail or fax
6. MLT (Medical Laboratory Technicians) Board. MSF will be running a slate of candidates again this year. Details will be circulated in the near future, and we hope to have the same success we did last time. We have recently had a successful meeting with the MLT Board and the IBMS (Institute of Biomedical Scientists) following which we are likely to be producing a joint booklet with the IBMS on handling excessive workloads, inappropriate delegation of tasks, staff shortages etc.
7. Staff attitude surveys. In line with the English HR strategy, there are large numbers of Trust staff attitude surveys being planned or undertaken. A useful handbook has been produced by the NHS Executive which is available on
http://www.doh.gov.uk/staffattitudesurveys/ and the NHS Response line: 0541 555 455) free.
8. The Vital Connection. This is the title of the NHS Equalities Framework for the NHS in England. It is available free from the NHS Responseline on 0541-555455 or via http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhsequality.htm. It contains targets and details of the annual equality Report all NHS employers are required to produce. Advice from MSF on this will be published later this year.
9. GWC Equal opportunities Agreement. A complete set of new agreements have been reached and issued as an Advance Letter. The Advance Letter is available on http://tap.ccta.gov.uk/doh/coin4.nsf/Circulars+by+Series?OpenView or from MSF Regional Centres. Advice from MSF on implementing this will be published later in the year.