Alison,
On Thu, 3 Jun 2004, Alison Wheeler wrote:
> I am interested to see these waves of support from colleagues about the
> actions being taken by Kent regarding its librarians.
>
> We have heard from the protesters and not the managers so I guess there are
> facts which might add to our improved understanding.
Some of the facts are these:
Kent CC want to reorganise the Kent public library service. This
reorganisation includes employing more staff. They do not intend to
increase the libary services staff budget. Read their own response to
the strike at:
http://extranet6.kent.gov.uk/kcc/home/newsarticle.aspx?id=1881
So in order to employ more staff within the same budget they have
downgraded some posts. Staff already working for the the library service
can either accept this reduction in their salaries or lose their jobs.
Effectively they are taking money from existing staff to fund these
improvement plans.
> I too believe that there are key areas of work that require the experience
> and developed expertise of a qualified librarians, although this does not
> include trouble-shooting photocopiers, and performing very basic functions
> at an enquiry desk
This has little to do with the professional/non-professional staff
dichotomy it has to do with existing staff being downgraded so the
employer can institute "improvements" for zero cost. If these are real
improvements I have no argument with them (I am a customer of this
service) but why should the existing staff pay the costs?
> However, I don't quite understand how going on strike tells the people of
> Kent very much about this issue.
It tells the "people of Kent" that the people trying to deliver a service
to them are very unhappy about the way they are being treated. It also
tells the management just how unhappy they are. I've just been through a
strike, do you think staff in higher education wanted to do this, to
possibly affect the education of their students? We had to do it to get
our employers to listen to reasonable requests. Once we had caught their
attention and shown our determination they went back to the negotiating
table and we reached an acceptable compromise. This is all the KCC libary
staff want from KCC.
Regards,
John Smith.
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