MAINTENANCE staff at the Scottish Borders Housing Association are to step up their industrial action next week.

A meeting of around 30 tradesmen – members of the trades union Unite – in the Abbotsford Hotel, Galashiels, on Saturday brought unanimous endorsement for an overtime ban which will be imposed from Monday.

In addition, they are to bring their work-to-rule, which has applied for the last two weekends, onto a daily footing. The union says formal notice of the escalation has now been given to SBHA.

It follows last month’s narrow ballot vote to pursue “industrial action short of strike action” in a dispute with management which wants to impose new terms and conditions on its manual workforce.

Bosses at the region’s largest social landlord say the changes – which would see staff on site at 8am – will offer a better service to tenants and “ensure a steady financial position”, while the union believes its members would be forced to work an extra 3.5 hours a week without pay and claims there are other ways in which the association can make the required savings.

“We want to apologise to tenants for any inconvenience and hope they appreciate this is purely down to the intransigence of a management presiding over the worst industrial relations I have ever encountered,” said Tony Trench, Unite’s full-time regional officer.

“The only way this can be resolved is for SBHA to agree to have meaningful negotiations, but, so far, they have made it clear this is not an option.” Mr Trench said his union members at SBHA had prepared a business plan which will be handed to Christine Grahame MSP later this week. Ms Grahame has said she is willing to take the plan to the SBHA board in an attempt to end the dispute.

“The plan shows how SBHA can make the efficiency savings it requires,” said Mr Trench. “This involves the more efficient use of stand-by staff resulting in a saving for the association in what it pays for the Bordercare alarm service. In return, the staff are prepared to be on site at 8am.” Meanwhile Allan Graham, convener of the Unite branch at SBHA, said his members had agreed that, in the absence of further negotiations, an approach would be made to the union’s area activists committee to agree the sending of letters, with feedback forms, to all 6,000 plus tenants.

“This is because we are convinced that the great majority of tenants have no idea of what is behind dispute and the huge level of mismanagement at SBHA,” said Mr Graham.

But prospects of a resolution appear no nearer.

Alasdair McInnes, SBHA’s interim human resources manager, told the Border Telegraph yesterday: “We have received no communication from Unite following their meeting on Saturday and remain extremely disappointed that Unite is continuing with it planned industrial action, especially as a significant majority - 63 per cent - of those who received ballot papers chose either not to support any form of industrial action or decided not to vote at all.  “This continued industrial action is based on only 37% [31 from a membership of 83] of Unite members voting for it.

“However, we will continue to have the required contingencies in place to cover all tenant services and want to reassure all our tenants that emergency cover is not affected by the union’s actions.  “As we have said all along, we want to ensure that the industrial action has the minimum impact on our tenants.

 “The union and its members know that there are no further offers to the various proposals made to them and the process of reviewing the whole of the maintenance division will now progress. Staff and their appropriate representatives will be consulted as part of the review process.

 “Following concerns expressed in press coverage by Christine Grahame MSP two weeks ago we offered the opportunity to discuss the  business case and the reasons for the required change to ensure she has a balanced understanding of the matter.  Unfortunately, she has been unavailable; we look forward to hearing from, and meeting with, Ms Grahame to present SBHA’s position.

 “Yet again, we would remind everyone the reasons for making these changes: to provide an improved service for our tenants, to secure a stable financial future for SBHA and to provide job security for all of our staff, which number in excess of two hundred.” Mr Graham said he welcomed the review of the maintenance division, but added: “We have nothing to hide and nothing to fear, but the review will only be meaningful if it is fully independent.”