Categories: uncategorized
Date: 20 October 2004 19:07:09
This lunchtime we had our union's regional rep visit us to talk about Agenda for Change, which is the proposed shakeup of pay and conditions in the NHS, whereby supposedly people will get equal pay for equal work. As soon as the BMA and BDA (professional associations for doctors and dentists) got an opt-out it was clear that the equality was just lipservice, but anyway I digress. We're about to be ballotted on whether to accept it or not (even though it will be going ahead regardless of the result), I'm planning on voting No though because if one or more of the health service unions get a resounding No in their ballots it will at least buy some more time to iron out some of the concerns that many of us have.
I was so annoyed with the rep today. He bounced in and announced that we were going to be better off under AfC. Well that might be superficially true for those of us already in the profession, who won't be taking a pay drop, might get a tad extra, and will get a few days extra holiday, but newly qualified health visitors will enter the profession at £2000 less per year starting salary. This in a profession which is about to lose a good 1/4 of its workforce in the next few years as they approach retirement and which is having terrible problems recruiting and retaining new staff. So I'm sorry - new HVs won't be better off, and I really don't in fact think I will be either. If I stay in health visiting (which is possible - if I don't do the PhD, or even if I do I might well go back to health visiting afterwards) then it will be people like me who end up covering two caseloads because there aren't the staff attracted into the profession. It will take more than 3 days extra annual leave a year to convince me that that is a remotely good thing.
I was really surprised at the strength of my reaction though. This guy was just spouting the party line and expecting us to swallow it. And I have to say, although I'm a lifelong leftie, union rep and all the rest of it, a real chip off my dad's block, every time I hear union officials blathering on I want to punch the wall. They just spout utter crap. I have tons of time for local reps who tirelessly represent staff for no extra pay, but the union paid staff higher up drive me nuts.
Tomorrow I'm heading up to Harrogate for my professional association's conference. This assoc (the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association, if anyone cares) is part of the union Amicus and over the past few years has totally sold out to the union - following a change in policy which meant that funds our local Centre was holding to pay for conference tickets and study days for members were retained by the union central office, I've already written a Disgusted from Tunbridge Wells letter threatening to resign and take my £10 a month elsewhere (I bet that had them trembling), I really don't think they have any clue just how unhappy people are with them, and the fact that we only stay because the alternatives are equally rubbish. I'm glad to be going to the conference, I've put myself down for some events which I think will really help me professionally and give me some good ideas. But in any union-related debates, especially around Agenda for Change, I'm ready for a shouting match. I'm so cross.
In other news I'm out of here now till next week. After the conference I'm heading up to a wedding so will be spending the weekend up north (not UpNorth though). I'm meeting a friend after the conference and before the wedding so that should calm me down and mellow me out. Very much looking forward to the break. See some of you on Saturday, and the rest of you next week... be good!