The articles pasted below are from the UNISON and amicus - MSF Web sites
UNISON NEWS
Yes to Agenda for Change
(2/6/03) More than 80% of UNISON members who voted in the ballot on Agenda for Change have backed calls for the system to be tested in 12 'early implementers' sites.
93,280 members voted (a 22% turnout) with 76,056 (81.5%) in favour and 17,224 (18.5%) against.
A special UNISON conference held in April endorsed the recommendation of the union's health group executive committee, to allow Agenda for Change - the proposed pay modernisation package for the NHS - to be piloted in the proposed sites.
Its impact will be monitored closely so that problems can be identified and resolved, where necessary, through further negotiation.
Having reviewed its impact in the early implementor sites, the decision on whether the system should be rolled out to the rest of the NHS will be the subject of a further membership ballot in 2004.
The service group executive will now hold a special meeting on 6 June in order to consider the ballot result and discuss its strategy for monitoring developments in the sites.
A meeting of the Central Negotiating Group - which is made up of recognised NHS unions, the four health departments, and representatives of the NHS, and has been responsible for negotiating Agenda for Change - takes place on 11 June.
At this meeting, all of the unions will report back on the outcome of their consultations and the decision on whether to go ahead with implementation in the early implementer sites will be taken.
From amicus - MSF
Agenda For Change Ballot Result
Further to the result published in Reps Direct 177. The full details of the ballot result are:
Papers distributed 56,938
Papers returned 23,821
Papers blank/spoilt 23
Question
“I agree to Agenda for Change proceeding to the Early Implementer Stage”
Number voting YES 18,785 (78.9%)
Number voting NO 5,013 (21.1%)
