Answers to key questions about strike action at Second Step

Yes.  Acas, the advisory, conciliation and arbitration service, is facilitating discussions between Second Step and UNISON.

Full negotiation rights is also known as collective bargaining. It means UNISON would have the right to negotiate pay and contractual terms and conditions with Second Step for the whole staff group regardless of union membership. Full negotiation rights will only be awarded following an all-staff ballot, which is standard practice. 

Second Step holds reserves. These are limited and have been assessed as appropriate for an organisation of its size and the nature of its work. Reserves are kept aside to help manage risk and keep services running if something unexpected happens. Using the reserves to uplift pay would reduce this safety net and could put the stability of client services at risk. Details of reserves have been shared with all staff.

Union recognition is when an employer formally acknowledges a union's right to represent a group of its workers to negotiate terms and conditions like pay, hours, and benefits through collective bargaining, and leading to a formal recognition agreement detailing these rights and processes. 

UNISON accepted an offer of one-off payments together with Wellbeing Days for all staff. 

We have shared a draft Recognition Agreement with UNISON, which will be discussed at our next Acas meeting on 11 February.  This forms part of our clear and constructive offer to establish a recognition agreement through a standard process led by Acas. Any final agreement on recognition would be subject to a whole-staff ballot, so that all staff have a say in this important decision.