Q&A

Is my vote a secret?

Yes – the ballot will be a postal ballot conducted by the Electoral Reform Society

What will be on the ballot paper

You will be asked two questions – are you willing to take industrial action short of strike action and are you willing to take industrial action in the form of strike action.  The Trade Unions strongly encourage you to answer YES to both these questions.

Will we have to go on strike

The Trade Unions believe a big vote in favour of industrial action will send a very clear message to the Company that the existing pay offer is unacceptable and needs to be improved. Whilst a return to meaningful negotiations would be a welcome result of such a vote there are no guarantees of this happening immediately. 

There are of course a number of actions which can be taken short of strike action including boycotting certain critical systems, and implementing actions such as overtime / standby bans.  The requirement to escalate to more general strike action will depend on whether SAIC are prepared to adopt a more realistic approach to pay and this serious step will be taken in conjunction with member discussions and only if there is no alternative.

Who decides what action will be taken?

Any decision regarding what action will be taken will only be taken after consultation with members as this is the best guarantee of successful action.

Do we all have to take action?

Once a decision has been made in a ballot and a course of action has been agreed after consultation with members then all members affected would be expected to follow the agreed action.  Members who attempt to undermine or go against a collective decision of the majority of members will only reduce the likelihood of a successful conclusion and will weaken the position of the trade union.  Our strength lies in our unity

Do the Company get notified that I will be voting?

The Trade Union only have to notify the Company of the numbers and locations of staff being balloted, not their names.

Can I be disciplined for taking industrial action?

Because the ballot has been conducted legally, you are protected from any form of disciplinary action for the first 12 weeks of the dispute.  After the 12-week period the Company are still not able to act with impunity - you can only be disciplined for breach of contract, e.g. refusal to carry out a legitimate management instruction.
However, picking off individuals could mean the Company end up falling foul of laws against discrimination and trying to discipline everyone would only make it more difficult to maintain operational activity - if we stand together we can win. 

Are all members going to be balloted?

Only members covered by the collective bargaining contract will be balloted as the dispute is in relation to pay talks for staff on collective contracts

If I am on a personal contract do I have to cover the work for a colleague taking industrial action?

If you have not been balloted on taking industrial action then you will not be part of the official action.  You will continue to have a contractual obligation to carry out your own job in accordance with your existing contract.  Any change to your job however, which required you to carry out different roles / responsibilities, would require the Company to ensure that this change to your job was carried out by joint agreement and they would have to ensure that you have been suitably trained to carry out any tasks otherwise they may find themselves in breach of their Health and Safety obligations.  If you are in any doubt about new tasks or jobs you are asked to carry out, you should consult your steward immediately.

I am on a personal contract and I am unhappy with my pay rise – what can I do about it?

The Trade Unions have been seeking to extend collective bargaining to all staff, an approach which has to date been resisted by SAIC.  Those on personal contacts however are still legally entitled not to suffer discrimination in pay. The Company are legally obliged to operate a pay system which is transparent and free from discrimination, You could take a number of steps including:

1. Request a personal meeting with your manager to discuss your pay award and how this has been determined?
2. If you are not satisfied with this you can formally raise a grievance to complain that the award is unfair – if you are a trade union members you are entitled to Trade Union representation in this approach
3. If this grievance is unsuccessful you can receive legal advice from Unison to determine whether you have grounds for redress through an industrial tribunal based on discrimination (e.g. gender, race, trade union membership etc.)

If enough members on personal contracts are unhappy with their pay and contracts then there are formal legal routes we can pursue to request recognition for collective bargaining.  This would have to be done by the trade unions and would require the support of a significant percentage of staff on personal contracts.  If you would be willing to assist in such a campaign please see one of your union reps.