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organise!
IN SURREY COUNTY LIBRARY SERVICE SUMMER 2013

Organising Gets Results

UNISON supports Library Staff to keep the right to free loans and to extend the right to Bank Staff

In April 2013, senior management within Surrey Libraries notified all staff that they were changing the rules regarding staff members borrowing from library stock. There had been little or no consultation with frontline staff and the announcement caused anger and upset across the service including from library managers. There was a flurry of angry messages on the SCC ChatZone and UNISON members contacted us here at the office. The new policy, dated April 2013 excluded bank staff and would mean: Staff would be charged the same as the public for all DVDs, CDs and Audio Books Staff would be charged for overdue items and for out-of-county requests Line managers would have the right to monitor their staffs loans and accounts

Staff can still borrow DVDs and CDs overnight at no charge

UNISON immediately contacted all our members in the library service and asked them if they wanted UNISON to take up this issue and raise a Collective Dispute. We also asked members to circulate our email to non-members. Over 60 library staff contacted us saying they wanted us to raise the dispute and it was clear that the issues of Audio-Visual loan charges (CDs, DVDs, Spoken Word) and management monitoring were what people were most angry about. UNISON raised a collective dispute almost immediately and we met with senior management to discuss the issues. We put all the staff concerns to the managers and agreed to hold a second meeting in a few weeks time. UNISON asked for a moratorium on any changes till after we had resolved the dispute which was agreed.
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Whilst waiting for management to come back with their response, we did a straw poll of all those who had signed up to the dispute, asking if they would be prepared to take industrial action (in the form of working to rule/withdrawing goodwill) if management did not come to a compromise. Over 85% of respondents said they would be prepared to take some form of action. At the second meeting, it was clear that there had been some change of heart by management. It was agreed that: There was an acceptance that the changes could have been communicated/consulted upon better Staff could now borrow AV items overnight at no charge (returning them to the same library the next opening day) Managers could only monitor staff loans if there was an issue. This would only be done as part of a one-to-one meeting with the staff member.

This was a big step forward but, unfortunately, bank staff were still excluded. There was also still an issue around how part-time workers who lived a long way from their library/workplace could return items the next day. We suggested to management that we were close to an agreement to end the dispute but that these two points needed clarifying and dealing with. The final agreement, which now covers all paid staff and which makes allowance for part-time workers, is a victory for fairness and common-sense and shows just what we can do if we stand together in UNISON. If you are not yet a member, please contact us asap for an application form or go to the national website www.unison.org.uk where you can join online. Our membership rates are very good and have not increased for nearly 15 years. If you are a member and would like more information about getting active, becoming a local UNISON contact or a workplace rep please get in touch. Paul Couchman UNISON Branch Secretary

Pay 2014 A message from the branch secretary

Over the past four years workers at Surrey County Council have seen a drop in effective standards of living of around 15-20%. We are not alone in this as local government workers across the country have seen pay restraint, pay freezes and even pay cuts in some areas. Surrey County UNISON believe that it is time to halt the driving down of our members living standards and to campaign vigorously for a fair pay rise in 2014. For us to do this effectively we need more members and we needs local reps in every team. Please consider becoming a UNISON workplace rep or even a local contact. We showed over the library loans Paul Couchman dispute that we can achieve victories if we stand together and we are united. Make sure all your colleagues are asked to join UNISON and lets prepare for the pay campaign in 2014. Contact UNISON at unison@surreycc.gov.uk or call 0208 541 9091 for more information. 2

VOLUNTEERS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES - National UNISON policy and guidance Does he think the job of a librarian is so simple, so empty of content t hat anyone can step up and do it for a thank-you and a cup of tea? Author Philip Pullman, responding to the then-leader of Oxfordshire County Councils call for increased use of volunteers in libraries, January 2011 Background The use of volunteers in public libraries is not new and has been a feature for a number of years. What is of concern is the changing nature of volunteering and how this may encroach upon the roles of paid staff, if left unchecked. Many of our members report that volunteers taking on tasks which are supplementary to the work of staff are a welcome resource such as running a fundraising friends of the library group, hosting coffee mornings for parents and toddlers, or assisting with specific initiatives such as the Summer Reading Challenge. The swingeing cuts imposed on local government prompted many councils to reduce expenditure on a range of vital services. Some local authorities felt that libraries were an easy target for some swift cost-cutting, however the threatened loss of many local facilities galvanised communities and campaigns into action. Aside from outright closures, library budgets for those remaining open have been slashed and levels of staff have fallen. Under the guise of the big society some authorities such as Surrey have launched major drives to increase the number of volunteers in libraries. UNISON is proud to have been a key partner in the founding and development of the Surrey Libraries Action Movement (SLAM). We supported the organising of lobbies of the council and spreading the word about what the council was trying to do. Increasing usage The number of volunteers in libraries has increased over recent years. In 2006/07 there were 12,708 volunteers in UK libraries. By 2010/11 the figure stood at 21,462 up 22% on the previous year and a massive 69% since 2006/07. Corresponding figures for the number of paid staff in libraries shows a worrying decline. In 2006/07 there were 26,591 FTE staff employed in public libraries in the UK. By 2010/11 the figure stood at 23,681 down 4% on the previous year and 11% overall since 2006/07. UNISON policy UNISON believes that public library services should be sufficiently resourced and professionally staffed. Volunteers may have a role to play, but not as replacements for paid, trained staff. We must be clear that the way to deliver high quality and fully accountable public library services, is to employ professional staff, pay them properly, and make sure they are trained and developed. Many library authorities already use volunteers alongside paid staff. It is vital that we make sure that relations between paid staff and volunteers at a local level are constructive, with everyone understanding everyone else's role, ensuring that staff and volunteers can work together effectively. We do not believe that local authorities should use volunteers as a cost-cutting exercise or to make up for the loss of staff through cuts and redundancies. We would view a scenario where volunteers are used for job substitution, either outright or to cover for staff absence, very seriously. Volunteers and the National Minimum Wage By law, in order to be a volunteer, individuals must agree to work completely voluntarily and for free. However they are entitled to out-of-pocket expenses related to their volunteer role, including food, travel and childcare costs. Expenses should only cover genuine out of pocket costs for example, bus fares to a library. If a volunteer walks but still receives travel expenses, this could be deemed as payment. Payments are made to employees or workers, not volunteers. If a volunteer is treated in this way they may have a claim to certain employment rights including the National Minimum Wage (NMW). We must also be aware that library volunteers might be deemed workers for NMW purposes if they effectively are working to a contract and monitor their activities accordingly.
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Employers may be reluctant to produce any kind of written statement of a volunteers duties as this may give individuals recourse to employment tribunals. However, a recent test case brought against the Citizens Advice Bureau ruled that volunteers (those who are unpaid and have no binding contract) are not covered by equality legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act. This makes volunteers vulnerable to potential discrimination in the workplace, with no means via which to challenge this. Pure volunteers are also unable to join UNISON as we cannot support them at work. Many employers may not have considered their legal duties towards volunteers. These include ensuring Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for people working with vulnerable adults and children, completion of risk assessments and ensuring sufficient levels of insurance cover. Furthermore, employers may also be liable under equality legislation for the actions of volunteers if they unlawfully discriminate against a service user. Clearly this indicates the need for a level of investment in volunteers in terms of support and training. The recent legal case in Surrey highlighted that volunteers cannot be left unsupported. Campaigners in SLAM launched judicial review proceedings against the council over its plans to hand 10 libraries over to volunteers. The decision was challenged on the basis the council had failed to discharge its public sector equality duties under the Equality Act 2010, as volunteers would not have the necessary skills and experience to be able to support vulnerable users as well as paid staff.

Useful sources of information

TUC website advice on volunteering http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/index.cfm?mins=349&minors=4&majorsubjectid=2 Volunteering England website http://www.volunteering.org.uk/ Volunteers and the law: an update http://www.dsc.org.uk/PolicyandResearch/news/legaleyesvolunteersandthelawanupdate National Council for Voluntary Organisations: The legal status of volunteers http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/advice-support/workforce-development/hr-employment-practice/managing-volunteers/legalstatus

The new and improved SCC MyBenefits scheme was launched on Monday 20 May. It brings thousands of discounts and offers including cash back for you and your family on food shopping, holidays, gifts, cinema tickets, weekends away, plus much more. Top picks include: Cashback 'earn' as you spend at select retailers Childcare vouchers save up to 933 per year Cycle to work scheme get up to 42% off the cost of a new bicycle Spree-plus card enjoy up to 15% off at lots of shops Shopping discounts thousands of great offers online and in store, including: 10% off at Boots - 10% off at Halfords - 9% off at Debenhams - 8% off at Currys PC World 7% off at Ikea - 6% off at Thomas Cook - 5% off at Asda and Sainsbury's. All you need to register is your personnel number which youll find on your payslip. You will only need it once. Go to www.surreyextra.co.uk , click on new user Pick a user name and password Click on create account. Instant access to thousands of offers and discounts - for you and your family. All offers within MyBenefits are still available on Surrey County Council public website so you can see it anytime from any computer or device.

Surrey County Branch

0208 541 9091 unison@surreycc.gov.uk UNISON Room G17, County Hall Penrhyn Road Kingston-upon-Thames KT1 2DN