08/11/2017 Channel Islands News

Here on BBC One, it's time

for the news where you are.

Good evening and welcome

to the late news from BBC

Channel Islands, I'm Clare Burton.

The issues around shift pay,

pensions, all of that has not been

resolved.

Also tonight: Property tax

in Guernsey is going up

as the budget for next year

is passed in the States.

After the fine and sunny weather,

all change for the islands. Becoming

a lot cloudier with outbreaks of

rain. Stated for the forecast.

Thousands of public sector staff

in Jersey today learnt how they'll

be affected by a major overhaul

of the States workforce.

For many, it'll mean

a pay rise of up to 20%.

But others will see their wages cut.

There are also changes to working

hours, shift pay and meal breaks,

which the Government believes

will provide a simpler,

fairer system.

Emma Chambers has more.

Paramedics, civil servants,

nurses and manual workers -

the people who keep us healthy

and keep the island's

services ticking along.

But the time has come

for the Government to

change how these jobs -

as well as thousands of others -

are structured and paid.

The Government is modernising

the public sector to get rid

of what it's described as historical

inconsistencies and

an unfair framework.

It wants to reduce the current 75

pay grades and 20 sets of terms

and conditions within the States

of Jersey to 10 pay grades and 1 set

of T's and C's for all.

This will result in pay increases

for many between 7% and 21%.

This is about us meeting our

obligation as an employer to reward

people fairly, appropriately.

And that you get the right pay

for the job compared to similar jobs

in the organisation.

That has to be done.

But the union Unite have hit back

saying this is a premature move.

Despite negotiations

spanning three years,

they still have concerns around

pensions, evaluation process

and fixing pay, possibly below

the cost of living until 2020.

Under the circumstances,

we will be recommending

rejection of the offer,

we need to get back

around the table.

There were some members of staff

who are going to do quite well out

of it, but that won't apply

to everybody, some are going to be

financially hurt, and hurt badly.

States employees have already

starting seeking advice

within hours of the new changes.

We've received a large number

of emails as well as phone calls

at our branch office.

At this stage it wouldn't

be correct for us

to give too much information as many

members of staff are still waiting

to receive their information packs,

but we've had varied responses.

The second phase of the pay deal

is still yet to be put

to uniformed services,

executives and teachers.

Union members now have to decide

whether they accept this final deal

which will cost the States

£47 million over

the next four years.

330 solar panels will be installed

on the outside of Guernsey's power

station after planners gave the idea

the go-ahead today.

The energy produced will feed

directly into the main

grid and could power up

to 50 electric cars.

Guernsey Electricity says

it'll help the island

reduce its overall carbon emissions.

Jersey's Treasury Minister has been

reassuring business leaders Jersey

is a transparent and well-regulated

tax jurisdiction following

revelations in the Paradise Papers.

Josie does not want abusive tax

avoidance schemes operating in the

islands.

The documents showed Apple

chose Jersey to shelter

some of its profits,

saving billions in corporation tax.

The arrangement isn't illegal

and the Jersey Financial Services

Commission argues there's no

evidence the firm

did keep cash here.

And the fact that this has come out

is unwanted, we would prevent

it had not happened.

But we have to be realistic,

there will always be circumstances

like this and however big

or small and issuers,

it can get twisted in the national

international media to look at times

much worse than perhaps is the case.

I think the facts when they come out

in this issue will prove that Jersey

has not been involved

in any wrongdoing.

Guernsey's Budget for 2018 has been

voted through by States members

with little opposition.

But issues such as Aurigny's debts

and high-paid civil servants did

get members excited.

Here's Mark Inchley

from our Guernsey newsroom.

Well, it's been described as

a budget the States can be proud of.

The headlines remain a 5%

increase in personal

income tax allowance,

increases on fuel,

alcohol and cigarettes

as well as on property tax or TRP.

Also money transferred

into States reserves

for the first time in a decade.

President of the Policy and

Resources Committee Gavin St Pier

described it as a fair and balanced

budget where low and middle income

earners would be better off.

The most passionate or emotional

speech of the day came from

Alderney Representative Louis Jean,

who said it was time to stop blaming

Alderney for losses made

by the States-owned airline Aurigny

and he called for a forensic

analysis of its accounts.

The island itself is

very concerned over it

and the businesses are affected

by it and it's very serious.

Every man, woman and child wants

a resolution to this and certainly

doesn't want to see the island

threatened or blamed for what's

going on when it's actually,

we feel, the management of Aurigny's

fault for not addressing

these problems.

In response, Aurigny said it

provided an incredibly high level

of service to the Alderney community

and refuted any claims

that it doesn't support

the island's economy.

But there were other issues raised

during the States debate.

Deputy Peter Ferbrache complained

that there had been no review

of high-paid civil servants as part

of the wider transformation

of the States.

And Deputies Barry Paint

and Lester Queripel called for more

information about a review of how

fuel is delivered to the island

in future, threatening to leak

damaging information to the media

if they weren't given answers

by the end of the week.

An inquest has heard hospital staff

lacked the necessary training to use

equipment to move a patient who fell

from a hoist and later died.

The 83-year-old woman

from St Clement was being

cared for on Oak Ward

at Jersey's St Saviour's Hospital

last March when she fell

after being bathed.

Marian McNamee reports.

The inquest heard how the patient,

Mary Cornish, had finished her usual

bathing routine when she fell

from the hoist being used

by nurses to lift her.

She hit and cut her

head on the ground.

She was transferred

to the General Hospital and later

developed bronchial pneumonia -

the recorded cause of death.

An inspector's report was read

to the inquest and we were given

access to a photographic

reconstruction where it could be

seen that a seat belt hadn't been

used with the hoist.

It was also found that staff

did not have appropriate

or up-to-date training to use

this specialist equipment.

Describing what she termed

weaknesses in the system,

the inspector recommended changes.

As a result, the hoists have been

replaced and there is now a detailed

and regular training plan in place.

After the hearing,

Mrs Cornish's daughters gave

the BBC this statement.

The family went on to tell us

they're encouraged that the health

department has taken action to keep

patients safe in the future.

Finally, work to turn a Victorian

fort in Alderney into a luxury hotel

could finally start next year.

Plans to redevelop Fort Tourgis,

at a cost of £17.5

million, had stalled.

The developer blamed the delay

on the global financial

crisis and then on Brexit,

but he's now confident

work can begin in 2018.

It seems this week no two days of

weather the same after the fine,

bright and sunny weather today, all

change for the islands tomorrow,

becoming cloudier with mist and fog

patches and outbreaks of rain,

drizzle the time. You can see the

day though it has not been a bad

day. We have seen good spells of

sunshine. All thanks to a ridge of

high pressure all ten but that is

quickly decaying overnight. For

tomorrow, it allows some weather

fronts to move in. This front

bringing us when the time during the

morning. Further weather front

making its way round the edge of

that high pressure. Still another

cloudy day with further outbreaks of

rain that time. Tonight, Clay

initially and during the evening, we

will see temperatures dipping away.

Cool start of night. Temperatures.

To pick up a bit. Not such a cold

start of the day tomorrow as it was

today. The rain becoming widespread

early on. Some mist and low cloud

and fog patches around the time. We

should start to see a clearing a bit

into the afternoon. Maybe one or two

brightest buzz coming through at

times. The winds from the north-west

and a high of 13 or 14 Celsius. As

for the outlook, it stays rather

cloudy. Outbreaks of rain the time.

And into Saturday, the risk of a few

showers. It comes a lot cooler, the

winds coming in from the more

northerly direction. Quite breezy.

It will make it feel colder.

Temperatures of ten or 11 degrees.

Bright sunny spells around and a

chance of a few IT elicits chalice.

-- a few isolated showers.