UNISON members working for North Yorkshire County Council have voted overwhelmingly to accept improved terms and conditions which will help to improve recruitment and retention and will also allow the new North Yorkshire Council to begin recruiting staff.
A massive 98% of UNISON members voted ‘yes’ to the new terms and conditions, which have been the subject of negotiations between NYCC and UNISON over the summer.
The new terms and conditions will come into effect from 1 April 2023 and will become the standard terms and conditions for the new North Yorkshire Council which will replace the current district, borough and county councils from 1 April 2023.
As NYCC will be a ‘Continuing Authority’ as part of Local Government Reorganisation, existing NYCC staff will move across to the new council on these terms and conditions. Staff who transfer from the existing district and borough councils will retain their existing terms and conditions, which are protected in law, but will have the option to move on to the new terms and conditions if the prefer.
The new terms and conditions are an attractive, but affordable, package that will help retain existing staff but also address the current recruitment crisis in local government. Key improvements include:
- Removal of compulsory unpaid leave at Christmas
- Additional paid annual leave
- Additional compassionate leave for staff who experience significant personal events such as close family bereavement
- Improvements to flexi-time schemes to improve the home/work life balance and to better reflect schemes available in the private sector
