FOI release

FOI2022-02249 - Collective agreements

Published 28 March 2022

Dear

I am writing in response to your email dated 21st February 2022 requesting the following information:

I am writing from the Labour Research Department, an independent trade union based research organisation and information provider, who maintain a database of collective agreements for various unions. We request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act.

• Name of unions which are signatories to your main collective agreement covering pay and conditions;
• The number of employees covered by the agreement;
• A list of pay grades and current pay rates.
• A copy of your latest pay settlement. Please provide the following information on how any pay increase has been applied:
  • Have there been any changes to the pay scales? If so, what were the changes?
  • Were progression payments made?
  • Were performance-related bonuses paid? If so, what were the arrangements for performance-related bonuses?
  • Were any other non-consolidated payments made? If so, what were the arrangements for these payments?

Family friendly policies

• What is the entitlement to occupational maternity pay for employees? Please specify:
  • any service requirement
  • period for which occupational maternity pay is paid
  • level of payment eg. 26 weeks paid at 100% of pay for staff with one year’s service
• What is the entitlement to occupational adoption pay for employees? Please specify:
  • any service requirement
  • period for which occupational adoption pay is paid
  • level of payment eg. 26 weeks paid at 100% of pay for staff with one year’s service
• What is the entitlement to occupational shared parental pay for employees? Please specify:
  • any service requirement
  • period for which occupational shared parental pay is paid
  • level of payment eg. 26 weeks paid at 100% of pay for staff with one year’s service
• What is the entitlement to occupational paternity pay for employees? Please specify:
  • any service requirement
  • period for which occupational paternity pay is paid
  • level of payment eg. 3 weeks paid at 100% of pay for staff with 26 weeks’ service

I am treating your correspondence as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

In response to your queries, I have completed a search for the information within the Defence Electronics & Components Agency (DECA), and I can confirm that we do hold information in scope of your request and I detail the answers below.

• Name of unions which are signatories to your main collective agreement covering pay and conditions;

GMB, PCS, Prospect and Unite

• The number of employees covered by the agreement;

438 employees as at 1st March 2022

• A list of pay grades and current pay rates.

DECA Pay Scales 2020-2021

• A copy of your latest pay settlement. Please provide the following information on how any pay increase has been applied:

See Annex A

• Have there been any changes to the pay scales? If so, what were the changes?

A consolidated pay increase of £250 for those earning below a full time equivalent base salary of £24,000pa (Spine Point 1 of Pay Band 3 Level 2, Pay band 4 Level 1, Pay band 4 Level 2 and apprentices).

• Were progression payments made?

No

• Were performance-related bonuses paid? If so, what were the arrangements for performance-related bonuses?

No

• Were any other non-consolidated payments made? If so, what were the arrangements for these payments?

No

Family friendly policies

• What is the entitlement to occupational maternity pay for employees? Please specify:
  • any service requirement
  • period for which occupational maternity pay is paid
  • level of payment eg. 26 weeks paid at 100% of pay for staff with one year’s service

26 weeks paid at 100% of pay for employees who have completed 52 weeks continuous service extending into the 15th week before the Expected Week of Confinement (EWC) or 52 weeks service aggregated over the 2-years extending into the 15th week before the EWC (the ‘qualifying week’).

• What is the entitlement to occupational adoption pay for employees? Please specify:
  • any service requirement
  • period for which occupational adoption pay is paid
  • level of payment eg. 26 weeks paid at 100% of pay for staff with one year’s service

26 weeks at 100% pay for employees continuously employed for at least one year extending into the week they have been notified they have been matched with a child. If there has been a break in paid service during the preceding 12-months, for example, parental leave, special unpaid leave, the qualifying period of one year’s paid service can be aggregated over a period of two years, extending into the week they are notified they have been matched with a child.

• What is the entitlement to occupational shared parental pay for employees? Please specify:
  • any service requirement
  • period for which occupational shared parental pay is paid
  • level of payment eg. 26 weeks paid at 100% of pay for staff with one year’s service

26 weeks leave paid at 100% pay less any weeks statutory maternity pay, maternity allowance or statutory adoption pay and leave already taken.

• What is the entitlement to occupational paternity pay for employees? Please specify:
  • any service requirement
  • period for which occupational paternity pay is paid
  • level of payment eg. 3 weeks paid at 100% of pay for staff with 26 weeks’ service

Employees can take either one week or two consecutive week’s (not odd days) paternity leave, at 100% pay. They must have completed 26 weeks’ continuous service ending with the 15th week before the baby is due.

If you are not satisfied with this response or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of your request, then you should contact me in the first instance. If informal resolution is not possible and you are still dissatisfied then you may apply for an independent internal review by contacting the Information Rights Compliance team, Ground Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB or by e-mailing [email protected]). Please note that any request for an internal review must be made within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to reach informal resolution has ended.

If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal review process is complete. You can find further details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner on the Commissioner’s website.

Regards

DECA FOI

Annex A

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA) Final Pay Offer 2021/22

• Following formal negotiations with DECA’s joint Trades Unions (TU’s), this document sets out DECA’s Final Pay Offer for 2021/22, which supersedes any previous offer.

• In November 2020, the Chancellor announced as part of the Spending Review 2020 that there will be a temporary pause on pay rises for most public sector workforces in 2021/22, including the Civil Service. However, Civil Servants earning below a full time equivalent base salary of £24,000pa would receive either an increase of £250 in 2021/22, or an increase to the National Living Wage Rate, whichever is greater. Furthermore, to avoid ‘leapfrogging’ of those earning just over £24,000, by those earning just under £24,000, departments are permitted to apply tapered increases for individuals’ salaries which fall between £24,001 and £24,249 to increase salaries to £24,250.

• This final offer is compliant with Cabinet Office Cabinet Office Civil Service Pay Guidance for 2021/22 and is applicable to DECA employees in all pay bands below the Senior Civil Service (SCS). It includes permanent employees, fixed term employees and apprentices.

• In accordance with Civil Service Pay Remit guidance, DECA’s final offer is as follows:

  • A 12 month pay deal for the period from 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022.

  • To award a consolidated annual increase of £250 to those employees, including apprentices, who earn less than £24,000pa, backdated to 1 August 2021.

  • A detailed breakdown of the new pay scales is attached at Annex A and the Pay Band and Levels receiving a consolidated £250 increase are highlighted in yellow.

  • An opportunity for the Management and Trades Unions pay committee to discuss priorities for our 2022/23 Pay Remit.

• DECA remains committed to reviewing its Performance Management Policy and its Corporate Bonus Scheme Policy. DECA Joint Trades unions will be fully consulted on these reviews, in accordance with 2.HR.05.03 - Trades Unions Engagement in DECA, and you will be kept informed of progress.

• It is confirmed there are no employees earning just over £24,000pa who would qualify for a tapered increase.

• DECA will meet its legal obligations in respect of the National Living/Minimum wage and will effect a further increase as required, effective from 1 April 2022, to those employees affected.

• While DECA acknowledges the Trades Unions frustrations with Public Sector Pay and understands there is continued dialogue at National Level, this is the best offer that could be made within the ongoing constraints set out by government, and is compliant with Civil Service Pay Guidelines. I hope that you will be able to recommend this offer to your members