PEARSON EDUCATION: Staff win right to ballot on recognitionEditorial, design and research staff at Pearson Education have won the right to hold a ballot to decide whether their pay and conditions should be agreed through collective negotiations. On November 17th, the Central Arbitration Committee delivered a positive response to an application the NUJ had submitted six weeks earlier that “it should be recognised for collective bargaining purposes by Pearson Education Limited (the Employer) for a bargaining unit comprising ‘individuals employed as staff in NUJ eligible grades at Halley Court, Jordan Hill Business Park….’ The CAC said it was “satisfied that both the level of union membership and the evidence of the petition are indicative that the majority of workers constituting the proposed bargaining unit would be likely to favour recognition of the Union as entitled to conduct collective bargaining on behalf of the negotiating unit. Accordingly, the Panel concludes that the test set out in paragraph 36(1)(b) is satisfied.”
Passing that test means the way is now clear for deciding the issue of recognition by way of a ballot, which is likely to be held some time in January, once a final agreement has been reached over exactly which posts will be covered by the bargaining unit.
Dona Velluti, joint MoC of the Pearson chapel said, “We knew our membership was strong and we have a very solid base of support here. For the past year we have been helping and supporting people with individual problems and raising issues of professional concern. So it comes as no surprise to us that the decision went this way. It is nonetheless a relief, and we are looking forward to the ballot, and finally getting a collective voice.”
AW 2008-12-02
|
