Today is International Day Against Homophobia. For more information, please click here.

Following negotiations in Belfast last week, Unite in AXA has recommended members in Northern Ireland accept the management offer of a 3% pay pot that should see 75% of staff who are currently lower in the salary bands receive an average of 3.75%.

In addition to pay, another of other matters were discussed and these included the clarification of scheduled and non-scheduled bank holidays for branch staff, that any branch employee working on a scheduled bank holiday can choose between time off in lieu or overtime as opposed to it being management discretion, a review of the Northern Ireland staff handbook in comparison with the UK and ROI handbooks and the introduction of an annual payment of £60 to fire wardens in line with the rest of the UK.

AXA Tech staff in Bristol and Lytham were briefed today about the forthcoming split in the UK operation between the retained operation and that transferring to Friends Provident following the AXA Sun Life Services sale last year. Scheduled for the beginning of June 2011, AXA Tech management told staff that in all likelihood the transferring population would be subject to mass redundancies.

Under the Sale Agreement between AXA and Resolution it was agreed that AXA Tech would provide continued IT service  for the transferring business for a period of time and then following an exercise to split the UK Tech operation, 163 roles (40% of the current AXA Tech population in the UK) would transfer to Friends Provident under TUPE regulations. AXA Tech staff are being asked to indicate their preference to remain with AXA or transfer this week.

Unfortunately Friends Provident have decided that they will not run the IT support themselves but are looking to transfer it to IBM who have indicated that if the work comes to them, the vast majority of the work will be offshored to India, with a few roles transferred to Dorking and Salisbury.

Effectively this means that the vast majority of the transferred employees will be made redundant.

Unite in AXA is working with AXA Tech management to try and preserve as many jobs as possible and will be looking to Friends and IBM to maximise redeployment opportunities for those in the TUPE population who in all probability will be at risk of redundancy upon transfer.

Two members have volunteered to become union reps to help make AXA a better place to work and assist their colleagues with any workplace issues:

Andrew McLeod (Bolton)
Clare Freedman (Morecambe)

Thanks to both for volunteering.

Sadly Lee Brankston has stood down as he moves to pastures new outside AXA and we’d like to thank him for the help and assistance he has provided both Unite in AXA and the union members in Morecambe over the years in his two stints as a workplace and equality rep.

Pay talks for AXA Ireland staff in Belfast and the branches in Northern Ireland are due to commence on Wednesday 13th April. If you are a member in the bargaining unit please provide the two Belfast reps with your views on what you would like to see regarding this year’s pay award.

Further, management have now agreed that, following union representations on the matter, to close the Northern Ireland branches on the public holiday for the Royal Wedding, not open them as they originally planned.

Click here to read the latest Unite in AXA newsletter on yesterday’s announcement in Commercial Lines. Please leave your feedback below or talk to your local union rep.

Unite in AXA have issued a newsletter in respect of the removal of gender specific signs on toilets in AXA and the need to comply with equality legislation on the matter.

You can read the newsletter by clicking here.

After consultation with Unite in AXA, AXA Ireland have agreed that the existing UK recognition agreement be extended to cover the Derry Service Centre in Northern Ireland.

Union reps from Belfast and Dublin will be on site from 31st March, holding a series of organising meetings with staff to explain the benefits of union membership and recruit new workplace reps for the site.

Unite members should have received (or be receiving*) ballot papers for the election of members of the new Unite Executive Council. As the union’s governing body we urge all of you to exercise your right to vote.

Normally Unite in AXA do not recommend specific candidates but to ensure that the insurance sector is represented on the new council and that the representatives for the finance sector do not just come from the banks, we recommend you cast two of your votes for Jim Kendall and Jane Lewis.

* if you have not received your ballot paper by Wednesday 6th April contact the ballot enquiy service on 0800 783 3856 or 0818 333 155 if you are in the Republic of Ireland.

It was rather ironic in the week Unite in AXA decided to promote the Dignity at Work initiative, which AXA has signed up to, that the company should unfortunately appear in the press for all the wrong reasons in respect of bullying. Recognising the importance of the issue and that one incident is one too many, the company are preparing new training for managers on the subject, a move we applaud.

Earlier in the week we issued a newsletter challenging us all to look at our own behaviours and ensure they do not step over the line into bullying. Today we are issuing a newsletter for staff concerned that they may be the victims of bullying and containing some tips on how to deal with bullying behaviour and where to get help. This newsletter can be accessed by clicking the link here.