Quarriers enters consultation on radical changes to staff terms

One of Scotland’s largest charities has entered a 90-day consultation with staff over radical changes to its terms and conditions, in a bid to protect the jobs of its 2,000 employees.

The action is a forward planning measure and not because of imminent risk to jobs, said a spokeswoman for the charity, who added: “With local authorities budgets under constraint, tendering is becoming more competitive and while the same number of services are on offer, they’re looking to make savings.”

After a “thorough review” of competitor organisations across the UK, Quarriers’ new terms include a pay reduction for all staff, reduced sick pay, a move to discretionary rather than automatic pay increases, reduced maternity, paternity and adoption pay in line with the statutory minimum, increased pensions contributions from staff and the removal of salary protection and excess travel payments.

Voluntary redundancy is not being offered, and if the terms are not agreed between staff, unions and Quarriers, it would be “back to the drawing board”, advised the Quarriers’ spokeswoman.

Second round of changes

Quarriers’ staff have previously accepted cuts in pay and conditions following a 90-day consultation in 2009 which saw a reduction in sick pay, no cost-of-living pay increases in that year, removal of overtime for night shifts and the transfer of half of employees’ existing public holiday entitlement to their annual leave entitlement. 

The latest round of changes to Quarriers’ terms comes as Scotland’s largest union, Unison calls for urgent action to halt cuts to the sector, advising that thousands of community and voluntary sector workers face redundancy.

While said to be in “direct response to the unprecedented economic challenges facing the organisation”, Quarriers’ latest terms and conditions have been informed by a study into the changing social care system and its implications for workers in this area.

The study, conducted by the Voluntary Sector Social Services Workforce Unit and Strathclyde University’s Scottish Centre for Employment Research, advised that “changes to working hours and flexibility, the acquisition of new skills, the development of a more casualised workforce, and the potential fragmentation of pay and conditions away from collective terms” could be necessary in the new era of personalised social care.

Quarriers’ chief executive, Paul Moore, said: “These are difficult times for the social care sector in Scotland and across the UK. Many organisations are struggling due to the increased financial pressures faced by local authorities, who are their main sources of funding. Quarriers is not immune and the charity has to act now to safeguard staff and the people we care for.”

With an annual turnover of more than £40m, Quarriers runs over 100 care projects across the UK supporting vulnerable children, young people and adults in challenging circumstances.