following trust failure to honour Agenda For Change re-banding.
Caroline Bedale
Members of GM SHA joined the GMMH Driver/Porter picket line on Thursday 29th January, to show our support.
Band 2 Driver/Porters based at Prestwich appealed their Band 2 Job Description using the GMMH Job Evaluation process as set out in the GMMH Job Evaluation Policy. The job description was then rebanded as a Band 3. GMMH initially discussed the outstanding backpay – to spring 2023 – for this valuable and essential group of GMMH workers. However, GMMH then suddenly and without any discussion or agreement decided to breach their own agreed Agenda For Change process and insist that the job description be reconsidered externally without any discussion or agreement about this extraordinary action. To be clear the rebanding was also checked by the GMMH Consistency Panel after the banding panel scored and assessed the up to date job description.
GMMH have not provided any explanation why they chose to circumvent the GMMH internal jointly agreed Agenda For Change process.
These important low paid Band 2 workers were balloted by GMMH UNISON and on 100% turnout there was 100% agreement for industrial action in the absence of any proposed resolution by GMMH.
UNISON GMMH Branch Secretary Ben Jackson said: “GMMH have moved the goalposts on our members, they have gone outside the nationwide, recognised Agenda For Change process, because they did not like the outcome, an outcome that even passed through the internal scrutiny and consistency panel. Our members feel extremely let down’.