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Workforce representation

Find out about trade union activity at the Council, including the number of employees who get time off to do union work and how much they are paid.

Find out about trade union activity at the Council, including the number of employees who get time off to do union work and how much they are paid.

We support the principles of collective bargaining and recognise the role trade unions can play in:

  • maintaining and developing good employee relations

  • assisting communication between the Council and its workforce

  • representing individual employees.

So they can do this, union representatives are granted reasonable paid time off.

Recognised unions

This information covers representation from 1 April 2018–31 March 2019.

Recognised teaching staff unions

  • National Union of Teachers (NUT)*

  • Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL)*

  • National Association of School Masters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)

  • National Association of Headteachers (NAHT)

  • Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)

  • University and College Union (UCU)

  • Community and Youth Workers’ Union (CYWU)

*The National Union of Teachers and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers merged on 1 September 2017 to form the National Education Union (NEU). Until 2019, they will continue to operate independently.

Recognised non-teaching staff unions

  • Unison
  • General, Municipal Boilermakers and Allied Trade Unions (GMB)
  • Unite

Trade union facility time

We are legally required to report on union facility time, which is the time we grant to employees to work as union officials. These tables cover 1 April 2018 until 31 March 2019, and are split into central council staff union reps and education staff union reps.

Table 1a. Relevant union officials (central staff representatives)

The total number of our employees who were union officials.

Number of employees who were relevant union officials during the relevant period Full-time equivalent employee number
Total: 5 headcount 3.43 FTEs

Table 1b. Relevant union officials (education staff representatives)

The total number of our employees who were union officials.

Number of employees who were relevant union officials during the relevant period Full-time equivalent employee number
Total: 12 headcount 10.86 FTEs

For teaching unions, these figures are representative of a school working week and time off is based on term-time working only, where applicable.

Table 2a. Percentage of time spent on facility time (central)

The number of employees who were union officials that spent a) 0% b) 1–50% c) 51–99% and d) 100% of their working hours on facility time.

Percentage of time (%) Number of employees
0 0
1–50 2
51–99 1
100 2

Table 2b. Percentage of time spent on facility time (education)

The number of employees who were union officials that spent a) 0% b) 1–50% c) 51–99% and d) 100% of their working hours on facility time.

Percentage of time (%) Number of employees
0 0
1–50 7
51–99 3
100 2

Table 3a. Percentage of pay bill spent on facility time (central)

The percentage of our total pay bill spent on paying union officials for facility time.

Total cost of facility time £91,695
Total pay bill 2018/19

£96,074,963
Percentage of total pay bill spent on facility time
 0.10%

Table 3b. Percentage of pay bill spent on facility time (education)

The percentage of our total pay bill spent on paying union officials for facility time.

Total cost of facility time £298,684
Total pay bill 2018/19

£172,665.172
Percentage of total pay bill spent on facility time
 0.17%

Table 4a. Paid trade union activities (central)

The number of hours spent by union officials on paid trade union activities as a percentage of total paid facility time hours.

Time spent on paid trade union activities as a percentage of total paid facility time hours
Calculated as: (total hours spent on paid TU activities by relevant union officials during the relevant period ÷ total paid facility time hours) x 100 (0 hrs ÷ 3,348 hrs) x 100 = 0%

Table 4b. Paid trade union activities (education)

The number of hours spent by union officials on paid trade union activities as a percentage of total paid facility time hours.

Time spent on paid trade union activities as a percentage of total paid facility time hours
Calculated as: (total hours spent on paid TU activities by relevant union officials during the relevant period ÷ total paid facility time hours) x 100 (0 hrs ÷ 15,846.16 hrs) x 100 = 0%