Co-operative Childcare staff to ballot for strike action

Twelve staff from the nursery based at the Falmer campus at Sussex University have been told that they must accept changes to their pay and conditions under new contracts or face redundancy.

The nursery is one of more than more than 40 nurseries run by the Midcounties Co-operative.

Nursery workers who were transferred over by TUPE when the Co-operative Childcare took on the running of the university nursery in 2012 stand to lose between £14,000 and £5,000 in pay cuts.

The Sussex University nursery and pre-school employs more than 40 staff and offers 71 childcare places to university students, staff and the general public.

It is based in a new state-of-the-art £2.1m building, which opened in 2014. The nursery's website states that its outside play area cost nearly £200,000. The building is on a 15-year lease from the university.

According to the GMB union, which is representing the nursery workers, the nursery has reported good growth with an estimated income from fees of £850,000 a year.

This runs counter to comments made last year by Sally Mayer, head of nurseries for The Co-operative Childcare, when she Nursery World that because of the drop in students doing EYE courses, the Co-op 'will need to be more innovative in attracting new candidates, and focused on retention. There will be a growing need to reward colleagues appropriately with improved salaries.'

Gary Palmer, GMB organiser, told Nursery World that the nursery had moved to the new building in 2014 and that the provision had initially been subsidised by the university.

Mr Palmer said, ‘Midcounties management has refused to clarify what’s really going on behind the scenes - on one hand we’re told business is booming, with new families joining the nursery and new staff being actively recruited. On the other, management has said that inherited staff wages from the TUPE process in 2012 is forcing the business to run at a loss and that only a £95,000 pay cut will see it back into profitability.’

He added that many of of the staff affected are senior, experienced nursery workers who on top of the pay cut and changes to terms and conditions stand to lose benefits and entitlements accrued through long service and career development.

‘Management has presented no business plan which shows how they intend to increase profile and profitability in the long term,’ he added.

Mr Palmer accused the nursery group’s management of treating the nursery union members ‘poorly’ and failing to consult ‘meaningfully’ with a ‘take it or leave it proposition’ towards the pay cut.

Staff were initially given a 14-day consultation but this has been extended to 30 days and ends on 18 August. The union argues this is too short a time period because staff contracts allow for a much longer 90-day consultation.

Nursery staff will be balloted this week on taking industrial action.

‘GMB will remain open to discussion if the “community owned, community led, community rewarding” Midcounties Co-operative wish to engage meaningfully during the balloting process,’ Mr Palmer said.

‘Our suggestion is that Midcounties management look to their words if they require inspiration: “Working together to create a better, fairer world” doesn’t appear to include their own staff in Brighton.’

A spokesperson for the Co-operative Childcare said, ‘Ensuring a successful and sustainable future for our Brighton nursery at Sussex University is our priority. As a part of this commitment, it has become necessary to align employee benefit packages across the nursery to ensure a fair, equal and sustainable reward structure for all colleagues.

‘This process has resulted in individual consultations with 12 colleagues, who are on legacy employment contracts following the nursery’s acquisition in 2012. Our strong preference is to retain all 12 members of staff and we have made a reasonable and fair offer to all those affected. We are committed to protecting the future of all 43 colleagues at Brighton and hope this offer will be accepted.’