Brent: the rate for the job

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controlled council. One of their stewards explained the iccies to Pete Firmin.

"Job evaluation in 1980 exposed gross anomalies in the pay structure, with library assistants on one grade taking home £35-£40 a week less than those on the next grade doing the same work.

The results of this evaluation were announced in September 1981 and in July 1982 management wrote to all library assistants informing them they would be regraded. But the July pay packet contained no regrading, and when regrading did come through, an 18-month probationary period was introduced, which the union disputed as unnecessary.

Our dispute with the Council was backed by the AGM of Brent NALGO in November 1982 and we held one-day strikes on February 7 and 18 this vear We alen I du LO HID yEaL. Tre aIDU introduced a policy of disruptive âction in the libraries such as not ordering books or handling enquiries.

The first strike closed 8 the 13 libraries, with about 70% of the membership on strike. The second strike would also have closed 8 libraries but management organised scahhins a.- • Arranman an Councillors There have been numerous meetings with councillors. They have seen them as consultation - 'collecting information' - we saw them as negotiations.

The councillors believed what their officers told them - that there were no real grounds for the union claim, and that a hierarchical structure is essential to the library service. The union disputes this. We are basically asking for the same rate for people uoing une same job.

The indication now from some councillors is that they are prepared to meet the union's claim. We hope this materialises.

Brent NALGO backed us at the AGM, but our action has been unofficial. To get official backing you have to prove that negotiations have "truly broken down". But we have had a lot of support from other NALGO stewards."

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124, March 17, 1983, Cars

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Brent's library workers are in dispute with the Labour-