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London Ambulance Service Branch | ||
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UNISONdirect: 0845 355 0845 |
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LONDON AMBULANCE SERVICE STAFF COUNCIL 2002 1 TERMS OF REFERENCE The general objective of the London Ambulance Service Staff Council (hereinafter referred to as the Council) is to promote the development of good service-wide industrial relations through the use of established and appropriate procedures for collective bargaining, joint consultation and negotiation. As such, the Council constitutes the senior joint negotiating body for the Trust so as to provide, on a single table basis:- (i) Effective formal machinery for consulting staff through their recognised Trade Unions and their accredited Lay Representatives about all matters that affect their working conditions. (ii) Agreed opportunities and facilities for Trade Unions and their accredited Lay Representatives to consult members and represent the views, concerns and wishes of their members to Management. (iii) The means to agree procedures associated with Industrial Relations. (iv) An Umbrella Group to the existing Consultative Committees (see Section 2 below). The Council is not intended to provide a forum for resolution of issues more properly discussed elsewhere, or delegated to its Sub-Committees. However, where delegated authority has been given to the appropriate Sub-committee, but agreement cannot be reached within a reasonable time frame, the matter will be referred to the Joint Secretaries group. They will be charged with preparing a formal proposal to resolve the issue, for the decision of the Staff Council. In such circumstances, the decision of the Staff Council is binding on all. The Council will work within the parameters of the General Whitley Council and its respective functional councils.
2 COMMITTEES To secure these objectives the council may establish Sub-Committees as are required – including the determination of their composition and procedures – and may delegate particular tasks and responsibilities to such Sub – Committees. The work of such Sub - Committees shall always be on behalf of the Council, which, subject to appropriate report back, may delegate its authority to determine and agree outcomes on behalf of the designated staff groups. Five resident substantive Committees will support the Council, as follows: - Workshops Staff A/E Crew Staff PTS Crew Staff Managers/Officers Administrative and Clerical Staff So as to avoid unnecessary duplication, the existing Central Ambulance Control Staff Committee will continue to consider matters relating to Emergency Medical Despatch (EMD) staff. Although not a standing Sub-Committee of the Staff Council, this Committee shall have the same rights to refer matters to the Joint Secretaries or to the full Staff Council should it find itself unable to resolve a matter. This arrangement will be monitored and may be subject to review. 3 STRUCTURE AND PROCEDURES The Chair of the management side of the Council will normally be the Director of Human Resources; the Chair of the staff side of the Council will be the Chair of the Trade Union side. Chairing of the meetings will alternate between the management side and staff side. The Council will meet quarterly, or specially by agreement. A Secretary will be appointed by each side of the Council. The Management Side secretary will be a Human Resources Manager of the Trust. The Staff Side Secretary will be a Full Time Official of a Trade Union recognised by the Trust for consultative purposes, who will be supported by a lay representative as Assistant Secretary. The Assistant Secretary will be elected by the Trade Union Side of the Staff Council. The Joint Secretaries shall act together in respect of their duties for the Council. They shall produce for the Council an agreed agenda, a minuted record of the proceedings, and any joint statements approved by the Council in relation to its business. Should the secretaries be unavailable, these functions will be undertaken by the Joint Chairs. The full Joint Secretaries group comprises the Management and Trade Union Chairs, Secretaries and the Trade Union Assistant Secretary. They will meet regularly to review the workings of the Council, any other urgent issue, or to consider matters referred by the full Council or by designated Sub-committees to agree final recommendations or proposals (see above). The Chair of the Trade Union Side, or his/her nominee, will be the Staff Side Chair each of the standing Sub-Committees of the Staff Council. 4. Membership (i) In addition to the Chair and the Joint Secretary, the Management Side shall comprise senior management representation of all operational management including Control Services, Patient Transport Service (PTS), and Service Sectors. Current Management Side membership is shown at appendix A. The Trade Union Side will normally comprise 13 Lay Staff representatives elected annually in accordance with procedures determined by the Trade Union Side in line with current agreements but representative of all the Operational Services and Specialist staff in the LAS. In addition, Full Time Trade Union Officials from each recognised Trade Union will be invited to attend in an ex-officio capacity. The Chair, Secretary and Assistant Secretary of the Trade Union Side will be elected from among these numbers. Nominations for membership as a lay representative are restricted to those accredited stewards who have first been nominated by their Trade Union. It is incumbent upon the Trade Union side to ensure proper representation of PTS staff. It is expected that this will be achieved by nomination of operational PTS representatives within the Trade Union operational membership of the Council. This said, the final Staff Side membership, appointed from those meeting the above requirement, must reflect the agreed ratios for operational staff: UNISON – 7 seats GMB – 2 seats TGWU – 1 seat Whilst Staff Side deputies will not normally be allowed to attend meetings of the Council, this is a matter for the Trade Unions. However, attendance will be permitted only where the Management Side Secretary is formally advised of the attendance of a deputy not less than seven days before the meeting of the Council. 4 CONSTITUTION OF THE COUNCIL The Constitution of the Council may be amended by agreement of the two sides at an annual meeting, or at a Special Meeting of the Council convened for that purpose.
5 DISPUTES Where, in matters agreed to be subject to negotiation and following attempts to seek a resolve between the Joint Chairs and Secretaries, the Council determines that it has a failure to agree, the matter will be referred to either: a panel agreed by the Joint Secretaries and appointed for this purpose or ACAS unless alternative arrangements are agreed between the Chairs/Secretaries.
APPENDIX A
Management Side Membership, 2002
Director of Human Resources (Joint Chair) Director of Technology Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Sector Services Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Control Services Director, Patient Transport Services Lead Sector Commander Human Resources Manager (Joint Secretary) Assistant Director, Human Resources Staff Side Membership, 2002 UNISON – 7 seats GMBTU – 2 seats TGWU – 1 seat Control Services – 1 seat Workshops staff – 1 seat Admin and Clerical – 1 seat Lead FTO (Joint Secretary) Other representatives may attend by agreement.
APPENDIX B
INDICATIVE LISTING OF MATTERS FOR CONSULTATION AND NEGOTIATION
Consultation Service Planning Health and Safety Working Patterns Patterns of Service Delivery/Working Practices Vehicles and Equipment Staff Facilities Estate Staff Uniforms Development and Training Equal Opportunities and Diversity Flexible Working/Family Friendly Policies Security of Employment/Redundancy Disciplinary/Grievance Procedures
Negotiation Changes to Conditions of Employment Remuneration (scope determined against national agreements and framework) Changes to Working Practices where these have implications for the contract of employment. Allowances (subject to scope permitted by national guidelines) Disputes Procedures
The above lists are not intended to be exhaustive.
HR/Staff Council/August2002/tc |