Welsh Health Authority staff have to wait more than a year to get back pay
Annoyed health staff have joined a new waiting list in Wales - this one is expected to last for over a year, and it's for their back pay- which has arisen from the restructuring exercise "Agenda for Change".
Swansea-based South West Wales AM Peter Black said the programme had been designed to modernise the pay regime for all non-medical staff in the Welsh NHS.
He said, "Its objective was to produce a more transparent pay structure that better reflected the work and skills of the individuals involved. However the speed of job evaluation and re-grading has been slower than anticipated, certainly in Swansea. As a result staff in Swansea have told me that the trust has only assessed 2,500 staff instead of the planned 8,000. This could mean that many could wait over a year to get any back-pay they are due.
"Staff were told that the relevant job matching would be done by the end of March 2006 but this target has not been met.
"The uncertainty associated with job re-grading is bad enough but to have to wait so long for an outcome is simply unacceptable.
"The Welsh Assembly Government and Swansea NHS Trust appear to have transformed the 'Agenda for Change' into a recipe for inaction.
"I understand that there may well be funding issues that are causing these delays but the least that the Trust could do is to explain to the staff why there is a delay. It appears that it is not only the patients that have to wait in the Welsh NHS."
Swansea NHS Trust said yesterday its performance in achieving back-pay was in line with others across Wales.
A spokeswoman for the trust said, "The trust continues to work in close partnership with the Staff Side in delivering the Assembly Government's "Agenda for Change".
"The implementation of the new pay and grading arrangements is a complicated, labour-intensive process. As at February 2006 a total of 87% of the non medical staff have been matched against national job profiles.
"And 33% of staff have been assimilated onto the new pay and grading arrangements.
"The Trust aims to complete the job matching process by the target date of March 2006 and have been commended by the Assembly Government for the quality of its processes and outcomes.
"Swansea NHS Trust's position overall is comparable with other Trusts in Wales.
"As regards its payment of arrears the Trust is in discussions with the Staff Side to find ways of accelerating this although it is fair to say that other Trusts are having to wrestle with this same issue.
"Our aim is to transfer our staff to the new pay and grading arrangements as quickly as possible and we will continue to do all that we can to achieve this and keep our staff informed of progress."
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=16723295&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=annoyed-health-staff-have-joined--a-new-waiting-list-in-wales---this-one-is-expected-to-last-for-over-a-name_page.html
Swansea-based South West Wales AM Peter Black said the programme had been designed to modernise the pay regime for all non-medical staff in the Welsh NHS.
He said, "Its objective was to produce a more transparent pay structure that better reflected the work and skills of the individuals involved. However the speed of job evaluation and re-grading has been slower than anticipated, certainly in Swansea. As a result staff in Swansea have told me that the trust has only assessed 2,500 staff instead of the planned 8,000. This could mean that many could wait over a year to get any back-pay they are due.
"Staff were told that the relevant job matching would be done by the end of March 2006 but this target has not been met.
"The uncertainty associated with job re-grading is bad enough but to have to wait so long for an outcome is simply unacceptable.
"The Welsh Assembly Government and Swansea NHS Trust appear to have transformed the 'Agenda for Change' into a recipe for inaction.
"I understand that there may well be funding issues that are causing these delays but the least that the Trust could do is to explain to the staff why there is a delay. It appears that it is not only the patients that have to wait in the Welsh NHS."
Swansea NHS Trust said yesterday its performance in achieving back-pay was in line with others across Wales.
A spokeswoman for the trust said, "The trust continues to work in close partnership with the Staff Side in delivering the Assembly Government's "Agenda for Change".
"The implementation of the new pay and grading arrangements is a complicated, labour-intensive process. As at February 2006 a total of 87% of the non medical staff have been matched against national job profiles.
"And 33% of staff have been assimilated onto the new pay and grading arrangements.
"The Trust aims to complete the job matching process by the target date of March 2006 and have been commended by the Assembly Government for the quality of its processes and outcomes.
"Swansea NHS Trust's position overall is comparable with other Trusts in Wales.
"As regards its payment of arrears the Trust is in discussions with the Staff Side to find ways of accelerating this although it is fair to say that other Trusts are having to wrestle with this same issue.
"Our aim is to transfer our staff to the new pay and grading arrangements as quickly as possible and we will continue to do all that we can to achieve this and keep our staff informed of progress."
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=16723295&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=annoyed-health-staff-have-joined--a-new-waiting-list-in-wales---this-one-is-expected-to-last-for-over-a-name_page.html
posted by Dr Search- Principal Consultant at the Search Clinic at
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