All Amicus members in Fujitsu Services who are based at MAN05 or HOM99 should have received an email giving them details of how to complete the survey.
It's important that you complete it, otherwise your reps won't be able to take account of your individual circumstances in the last stages of the negotiations.
It's up to YOU.
Talks with the company continue in an effort to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute. We are gradually narrowing the areas of disagreement, but several important issues remain outstanding.
As well as the gradual progress on the draft agreements, Amicus reps believe the process has been useful for both parties in clarifying their understanding, particularly in relation to:
a) How the company can handle its changing workforce requirements in a positive way
b) How the company can apply best-practice in dealing with individual employees
We expect to be issuing our survey of members this week, and urge every member to complete it. Without your input your reps will be unable to consider your individual circumstances in the final stages of negotiations.
Talks continue on Monday.
We expect discussions on the April 2004 pay review to begin in the New Year. Members should consider what claim they would like the union to submit on their behalf.
Today's Extraordinary General Meeting heard a progress report from the negotiating team. They were satisfied that progress continued to be made, and felt that satisfactory solutions had been found to many of the issues originally behind the dispute.
Nothing had yet been formally agreed (we expect any offer to be formally put to members for approval), and more work needed to be done in several areas. Many of these are not contentious, but there are still several key issues where agreement has not been reached between the negotiating teams. These are generally issues which weren't part of the original grievance, but which the parties have put on the table in the course of negotiations. In particular, the severance packages for people who joined the company since the end of 1998 have not been agreed.
The meeting unanimously agreed the following motion:
We note the progress made in negotiations since our last meeting.
We believe the main obstacle to agreement is defining which severance packages apply to staff who joined the company since 31st December 1998. There are also various other outstanding issues which appear to be less contentious.
We resolve to complete a survey to provide information to our negotiators on our current contracts and redundancy terms. The survey will help clarify the scope of various issues under negotiation.
We agree with the principle the negotiations started from - that the new redundancy agreement should aim to clarify severance packages, rather than change them, for existing staff.
We instruct our representatives to continue negotiations with the company, with this goal in mind.
If at any point the Company breaks off negotiations, or refuses to further extend the 8-week period, we authorise our reps to call action short of strike and up to four days further strike action.
It was emphasised that the impact on individuals depends on the wording of their contracts, date of joining etc. Members need to ensure that their personal situation is being taken into account in these late stages of negotiation. This means it is vital that members complete the survey that will be distributed, or their circumstances may not be taken into account.
The meeting agreed the following motion unanimously:
To encourage members to complete the survey, we instruct our reps to offer one or more prizes to be drawn at the next EGM. Members who complete the survey will be entered into the draw.
It was stressed that members had a responsibility to look at the draft agreements which are circulated from time to time. The negotiating team have been wrestling with these for some months, and we need a large number of fresh eyes to ensure nothing is missed and that the documents are clear and comprehensible. The earlier problems are spotted, the easier it will be to correct them.
Don't forget the Extraordinary General Meeting:
3pm-4:30pm
Tuesday 2nd December
MAN05 restaurant
We've circulated draft agreements covering union recognition and redundancy to members for consideration prior to the meeting. We are currently awaiting an updated statement on pay from the company before circulating the third document, the so-called "settlement document".