Fair pay for Mid and South Essex HCAs

Fair pay for MSEFT HCAs

• I have had a letter from the employer about agreeing to band 3 should I return this?

  If you have been undertaking band three duties and you want to continue to do this then you can agree to the letter.

  UNISON has confirmation that the level of back pay and where you’ve been placed on band three is still to be negotiated as part of the dispute resolution process.

• I have heard bank shifts are being limited. What is UNISON doing about this?

  UNISON is raising clinical safety concerns where these are raised. Please raise this with your line manager, employer and local UNISON rep if you feel there are any safety concerns around low staffing numbers.

• I only work bank for MSEFT will I get band 3?

  UNISON is raising this with the employer as we believe all staff undertaking band 3 duties should be paid fairly.

  We will push the trust to pay back those staff who have worked bank-only historically.

• I work as a maternity care assistant or support worker and feel the duties undertaken need revaluing as higher than band 3

  This is something UNISON is raising with the trust and would advise that members raise via the job evaluation review process against current job description with support from a local UNISON rep.

• I work as an emergency department assistant and feel that I am undertaking duties above grade 3. What should I do?

  UNISON is raising this with the trust.

  We advise members to raise it via the job evaluation review process against current job description with support from a local UNISON rep.

• I work bank shifts as well as my substantive contract will these be paid at band 3 rates as well?

  UNISON has raised this as an issue with the trust and we are waiting for a full reply.

  As you know the bank contract is a different contract to your permanent contract. UNISON’s position is that when working bank you should be offered this at the same rate you are employed as within contract.

• What is happening with unsocial hours as the rate at band 3 is less than the rate at band 2?

  UNISON has made the employer aware of section 1.18 of your contract (Agenda for Change)

  1.18

  On promotion the new starting salary (made up of basic pay and any unsocial hours payment and/or any long-term recruitment and retention premium [RRP]) should produce an increase in earnings. If it does not, the previous salary (basic pay plus any applicable unsocial hours payment and/or long-term RRP) will be maintained until the combination of basic pay, any unsocial hours payment and/or RRP in the new band does produce a higher salary.

  If any employees that work unsocial hours feel they have been paid less as a band three employee please raise this with the employer and your UNISON rep.

   

• What should I do if I am not happy with the level of back pay/point within grade 3 I have been placed on?

  UNISON believe that if you have two years’ experience doing the job you should be at the top of grade three from this date.

  Please add your name to UNISON’s collective grievance which will be presented if we fail to come to an agreement in partnership with the trust.

• Why has the employer only back paid to April 2022 and put staff on the bottom of band 3?

  UNISON is clear that back pay to only April 2022 is not acceptable.

  Many members have reported they were undertaking duties at band 3 going back to early 2020. All NHS employers were written to in July 2021 to ensure that staff were working to grade.

  We believe that members’ placing on the band should reflect the number of years they have been working at that level.

  The trust’s actions are unfair and this is why and this is why UNISON has gone into dispute.

• Will the trust be able to move me back to band 2 for any reason if I agree to move to band 3?

  UNISON is clear that the band two HCA jobs and band three HCA jobs are different and should be valued differently. If you are offered and accept a band three job you should remain at the agreed band unless the trust carries out a full and fair capability process.