CATHERINE SWEENEY Assistant Director of Administration (HR) Newry and Mourne District Council

1. CATHERINE SWEENEY Assistant Director of Administration (HR) Newry and Mourne District Council EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND PAY & REWARD Industrial Relations Framework

2. Employee Relations • Work to date • Issues to consider

3. Work to date • Framework has been consulted upon in 2013 – widely supported • Endorsed by LGRJF • NIJC Review has been undertaken • Draft Constitution for ER Framework has been drawn up for consultation

4. Employee Relations and Pay & Reward Working Group

5. Issues in establishing ER framework • Authority to devise a new Employee Relations Framework • Model Framework proposed - Employers’ and Trade Union side membership of the Board and Working Committee • Constitution, work plan and successor arrangements for NIJC and LGRJF • Employers’ side resourcing • Consultation arrangements • Timeframe for implementation

6. Authority to produce Framework Local Government Staff Commission NISection 40 (4) (f) of the Local Government Act (NI) 1972, as amended, to:(f) Promoting or assisting the establishment of, or establishing, procedures for the negotiation between councils.... and officers of councils ..... or associations representing any of them, of standard rates of renumeration, or other terms and conditions of employment, for officers of councils ... and recommending the adoption by councils ... of rates, terms and conditions so negotiated.'

7. Authority to produce Framework Local Government Reform Joint Forum 3.6 of Terms of Reference 'Developing terms of Reference and making recommendations for consultation and negotiating, machinery for local government post April 2015.All decisions of the Joint Forum will be promulgated under the authority of the LGSC under Section 49(4)(f) of the Local Government Act (NI) 1972

8. Aims of New ER Framework • A negotiating and consultation framework reflective of the new 11 Councils • An agreed Employee Relations Framework that delivers results, enables change sectorally and locally provides consistency • A time bound, priority based work plan agreed to meet the HR needs of Councils • Provides for consultation between all levels in the Framework

9. Advantages of Model • Separation of Strategic (Board) and Operational (Working Committee) • Direct nomination by Employers / TU on to Board and Working Committee • Driven by Sector needs and can be supported by a work plan

10. ER Framework

11. Membership of the Board and WG • Best practice suggests 14 max for Board or Working Group (Employer Side -7+ TU Side -7) • Challenge for TUs to agree the membership • NIJC – Unite/ATGWU – 5; Unite/Amicus – 1; GMB - 5 ; NIPSA – 5; SIPTU - 1 • LGRJF – NIPSA - 4; UNITE – 2; GMB - 1 • Challenge for Employers’ Side to reflect views of 11x Elected Members, Chief Executives and HR Leads

12. Employers Side - Suggestion? • Consultative and Advisory groups consisting of representatives of 11 Councils from which nominations are made to participate in the Board / Working Group • Board nominations - issues to consider • Elected Member nominations directly or from another source? • Position of Responsibility in new councils ? • Tenure? • Board Working Group – issues to consider • Rotation arrangements? • Fixed term in position? • Sharing responsibilities across councils?

13. Employer Side nominations

14. Resourcing Framework • Options to be considered for • Employer Side Officer - funding, location, support, performance management • Secretariat • NJC / NIJC

15. Way forward

16. Pay and Reward • An item on the Work Plan for the new ER Framework aimed at providing • Consistencies in how we approach R&S, L&D, Performance • Service delivery efficiencies – Payroll / HR • Components • Common T&C • Common job families / Standardised JDs / Catalogue of jobs • Job Evaluation redefined • Generic approach to pay / simplified pay / flexible pay packages