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January 20, 2010
From the front line
John writes
"What also needs to be recognised is (and never seems to be) in any of the reviews/proposals of government bodies etc. is the pressure on the people providing these services.
Firstly, the library service needs to use less casual staff and temporary contracts (I recognise that some are and always will be needed, but we have about a third to a half of the workforce in our Authority on temporary contracts and in some libraries ALL of the staff are temps/casuals). This is an inherently unstable staffing situation leading to lack of trainig, experience and low pay.
Secondly, the staff need to be trained properly - I know this may sound astoundingly simplistic but believe me in a lot of cases it doesn't happen. (This also comes to the sticky question of losing those staff who have a wealth of experience in libraries and books because they don't want to do computer courses or storytimes - not because they want to be awkward but perhaps because they don't have the confidence in their own abilities).
Finally, and this is the crunch one at this time of 'economic meltdown'- staff need to be paid properly. Forget all the spin about public sector workers getting paid more than the private sector and all those lovely gold plated pensions. After working for 6 years and fulfilling training requirements I get paid £8.72 an hour, (about a pound an hour more than the guy who cleans the library), I work 17.5 hours a week (I will not get a large pension, gold plated or otherwise - tin plated perhaps?). I'm one of the lucky one's because I've got a permanent contract. My point is - I am happy to do anything to make my library a success (and the rest of my colleagues are as dedicated) - but the levels of remuneration for the roles we already carry out are pitiful - looking to the future with self service, digital plinths and staff reductions through "natural wastage" we will be expected to do more with even less.
I hope this doesn't sound too pompous and I know that many other people will be in the same position in their jobs, but I do feel that sometimes the Great Library Debate needs to be turned on its head. Before adding to the list of extra things we need to do let's stop destroying the valuable assets we have in the staff (just as we have done with book stock and buildings).
Thanks for your time."
Posted by Perkins at January 20, 2010 7:58 PM
Comments
There's undoubtedly an employment law loophole here. I'm on a 4.15 hour contract (and that's 4.15 hours fortnightly!), yet I do 20-30 hours a week casual (and have been for over 4 years now). No holiday or sick pay, excluded from training. No pension. I think what we need is some kind of legislation along the lines of agency workers employed on self-employed contracts, if they are employed for I think it is two years then they automatically gain the rights of an employee of the company. I have this on my to-do list to take up with my Union/MP but haven't got round to it yet.
Posted by: Gareth Osler at January 20, 2010 11:10 PM
Right on, man!
Posted by: James Christie at January 21, 2010 2:23 AM
Gareth - I am sure that as a casual worker you are legally entitled to paid annual leave. I do some work as a casual library assistant in Staffordshire, and accrue holiday pay for every hour I work (at a rate of about 12%). I would wager that many casuals don't know about it - my supervisor did not know I was entitled and higher management certainly do not encourage it. You are probably owed lots of leave - make sure you get what you're entitled to by the end of your leave year! I've tried attaching a link to an Acas document - search it for 'casual'.
Posted by: Anon at January 22, 2010 3:32 PM