January 2003

A further meeting of the National Joint Forum (NJF) took place on Monday 9th December. ACM is represented on the NJF, together with the other five FE trades unions and the Association of Colleges (AoC). The meeting had been arranged following the announcement by Charles Clarke, Secretary of State for Education, of additional funding for colleges, with a view to resolving the current pay dispute. Those trades unions that had been taking strike action had suspended their action pending the discussions.

Unfortunately, discussions did not progress as well as had been hoped and AoC failed to present a new offer. The meeting was adjourned until 13th January and both the employers and unions will be consulting their memberships on the matter. Informal discussions have taken place and it seems that several of the unions are ready to make a deal with the employers. This would include an improvement on the offer of 2.3% made in August 2002 together with agreeing a framework for further discussions on narrowing the pay gap between FE employees and other public sector workers. However, AoC are not willing to reach a settlement until all of the unions have indicated their willingness to accept the employer’s offer. The Association’s position remains that the pay settlement should be the equivalent to the schoolteachers and local government workers increase plus a catch-up element.
ACM General Secretary Peter Pendle said, “It is such a shame that we have not yet been able to reach a settlement. It seems that some of the parties involved in the negotiations are more interested in focusing on old battles rather than addressing the real issue, which is how the additional funding from Charles Clarke for modernising pay arrangements should be distributed to staff in order to bring FE salaries back in line with other parts of the public sector. If the dispute cannot be resolved at the meeting on 13th January the future of the national negotiating machinery will be at risk. With the employers and unions having worked so hard together to win the additional resources demanded by the sector, and having got so close to reaching a negotiated settlement, it would be a disaster if it was all thrown away.”

Printing deadlines mean that the newsletter went to press before the reconvened NJF meeting took place on 13th January. If a deal has been reached at the NJF meeting details will be enclosed with the newsletter. The latest position will be given on the web site at www.acm.uk.com and circulated to subscribers of the acm e-information service. To subscribe send your email address and membership number, to admin@acm.uk.com.

STOP PRESS

The NJF meeting was held on 13th January but no resolution was agreed therefore the meeting was adjourned and will be reconvened on Wednesday 22nd January 2003.