The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
2.7 Deputy A.E. Jeune of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the funding of trade union representatives:
Would the Minister advise whether any convenor of a professional body or organisation or other trade union representatives are funded by their own associations or by Health and Social Services and whether States funding pays for their attendance at conferences, meetings and so on, particularly those related to their own organisations?
Deputy A.E. Pryke of Trinity (The Minister for Health and Social Services):
It is good practice across both public and private sectors in Jersey, Guernsey and in the U.K. to follow the principles of the A.C.A.S. (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) Code of Practice on time for trade unionists, which provides for paid time for union representatives to be funded by employers. Within Health and Social Services, the nursing convenor is funded by the department on a full-time basis. The manual workers' convenor is funded by the department for 2 days per week and must request and gain approval for any additional days required. The needs of the service are always paramount when considering requests for time.
- Deputy A.E. Jeune :
Would the Minister please advise how many hours of working time is permitted per week for union activity outside of those that are, by the sound of the answer, fully given?
The Deputy of Trinity :
I thought I made clear that we have one convenor on a full-time basis and one on 2 days per week and if there is anything extra required from either of them, especially the one on the manual workers' convenor, then they must gain a request first for any additional time required.
Deputy A.E. Jeune :
That is over and above the 2 days, is that correct? The Deputy of Trinity :
Yes.
- Senator S.C. Ferguson:
Would the Minister tell us how much is spent on union activities and would she also tell us how much the medical unions spend? Do they have the same provision as the nurses and manual workers' unions and how much do those cost?
The Deputy of Trinity :
I have not got that level of detail. Regarding the 2 that I have mentioned, the cost relates directly to salaries of individual convenors and I feel - I suppose the House would agree too - it is inappropriate to share this personal and confidential information with the public.
- Senator S.C. Ferguson:
I wonder if the Minister would give us the global figure? We do not need the individual people's figures, we just need the global figure. How much is spent by H. & S.S. (Health and Social Services) on the various unions, the nurses, the manual workers, the medical unions and so on, a total figure, and if the Minister has not got this figure with her, perhaps she would circulate it to us?
The Deputy of Trinity :
I am happy to look at that on the condition that it does not identify certain individuals' salary.
- Deputy T.M. Pitman:
There seems to be a bit of union bashing in the air from some of the Right-Wing Members. Can I ask the Minister that she can confirm that unions play a good and very positive part in modern democracies and should be supported and in Jersey, in fact, unions have a very sensible and moderate approach?
The Deputy of Trinity :
Yes, I know there are times that I do not agree with Deputy Pitman but this time he is spot-on. Working relationships with the unions, especially with a big organisation like Health and Social Services where there is nearly or about 3,000 staff is important and I like to think that we have got good working relationships with all our unions.
- Deputy A.E. Jeune :
The answer I have not had is whether the taxpayers are funding attendance at conferences and so on and perhaps in addition to the figures being given to Senator Ferguson's answer, we could have the answer to that as a whole figure, what the taxpayer pays for people to go to these conferences and meetings?
The Deputy of Trinity :
I can tell the Deputy about conferences, et cetera. It depends, obviously, on if it is within the working week, whether it is local or U.K. and if the unions wish their representatives to attend conferences, then I understand that it comes within the union cost but nothing is set in stone.