County Council Cabinet Vote "No" to Pay Proposals
At today's County Council Cabinet meeting, Members unanimously voted not to proceed with the Job Evaluation proposed new pay structure. Cabinet Members also voted for work to commence on alternative and affordable pay models as soon as possible in line with the national 1997 Single Status Agreement between local authorities and the trade unions. This achieves the harmonisation of pay and terms and conditions across a number of different workforce groups, and also address issues of equal pay across Local Government. An update report will now be tabled at the March 2007 Cabinet.
This decision follows a three-month comprehensive consultation exercise with staff surrounding the proposals and County Council officials have also been meeting with trade unions.
Cabinet previously made a commitment that Job Evaluation would only proceed with broad agreement with employees and today they were informed that:
- In total, 11,284 employee consultation response form had been submitted that showed:
- Pay & Grading. 77.4% voted against, 21.6% voted in favour, and 0.97% gave no response;
- Pay Protection Package. 72.05% voted against, 21.28 voted in favour, and 6.58% gave no response
- Backpay Package. 68.48% voted against, 25.36% voted in favour, and 6.16% gave no response.
- Overall, the group of employees most in favour of the proposals were schools-based staff with an in favour figure of 28% - 33%. In contrast, the group of employees most against the proposals were staff from the Resource Directorate voting in favour between 10% and 14%.
- In addition to the 11,284 employee consultation response forms submitted, Cabinet Members and senior officers also received additional letters and emails from employees against the proposed pay structure.
In a joint statement Staffordshire County Council Leader, Cllr. Terry Dix, and Deputy, Cllr. John Taylor said:
"They spoke, we listened. This was never a done deal. We made a promise to our employees that the proposals consulted upon would be true consultation and quite clearly what was proposed did not receive broad support and therefore Cabinet voted to reject them. I am extremely pleased that so many employees engaged with us with this process and staff input was invaluable.
"Work will now begin to look at alternative and affordable pay structures and this will happen as soon as possible to ensure we find a solution. At this point I would like to commend all out employees who have, during a difficult period, continued to deliver services in the same professional manner as they always did. We will continue to work with them and the unions to meet our national obligation of implementation."
For Further Information, please contact:
Steven Jenkins, External Communications Manager
01785 278437
steven.jenkins@staffordshire.gov.uk
Further Information:
- Job Evaluation is not unique to Staffordshire. It is happening as it forms part of the 1997 National Single Status Agreement, which commits all local authorities to review their pay and grading structures. Single Status is the harmonising of pay and conditions across local authorities for comparable posts. To date, 30% of local authorities in England have gone through this process and implemented fully.
- The rejected proposals would have seen 45% getting a salary increase, 30% remaining the same, and 25% reduction. For those who experienced a reduction, they would have been liable for a three year pay protection package to July 2010. Those who would have experienced a salary increase would be liable for backpay up to three years.
- This process is NOT a cost saving exercise. Based on the rejected proposals, there would have been an initial implementation cost of £30.3 million and the wage bill for the county council would have increased annually by £2.4 million.
- We have completed a comprehensive three-month consultation process for employees.
- In addition to consultation with employees, we have continued to work closely with the unions.
- This process does not affect teachers.
- This has been one of the most complex exercises by the council with the aim of achieving a fair and equal pay structure across the organisation, with 28,000 contracts involved.
- We have ensured that employees have been given all the information via regular communication, newsletters and a special section on our internal intranet. We have also held special briefing sessions throughout Staffordshire on this issue. The consultation period ended on January 4th 2007.
- Staffordshire County Council will continue to work closely and communicate proactively with employees and the unions as new pay structures are looked at.
Cabinet
17 January 2007
PAY MODERNISATION
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL
Colleagues,
In reading through and studying the vast amount of correspondence both written and emailed regarding job evaluation and the consultation that has taken place, and in reflecting the concerns of employees, Trade Unions, Members of the County Council and Members of Parliament, Headteachers and Governors, I am putting forward my recommendations for your approval.
1. Cabinet is committed to ensuring that fair and equal pay are in place for all staff across the County Council, and to making sure that equality and fairness are principles reflected through the pay arrangements in place for staff.
2. Cabinet therefore confirms its commitment at the earliest practicable opportunity to implement a new pay structure for County Council green book employees, a structure which must:
a. deliver equal and fair pay as required by the Equal Pay Act;
b. meet our obligations under the 1997 Single Status Agreement between local authorities and the trade unions;
c. Support the ongoing performance and viability of our services, through the ability to effectively recruit and retain appropriate staff;
d. Is affordable within the County Council's overall financial constraints
3. Cabinet welcomes the continuation of negotiations with the trade unions as set out in the report to this meeting and confirms its desire to reach collective agreement on single status, if possible, and within a realistic timescale.
4. Cabinet welcomes the report today on the feedback from the consultation process initiated following its decision to proceed on this basis in October 2006. Cabinet wishes to record its recognition of the following key points that have been made through the consultation.
a. That the majority of staff are not in support of the proposals that have been consulted on;
b. That a number of service managers, Governors and Headteachers, and staff have highlighted the negative impact they feel the proposals would have on service delivery;
c. That the Trade Unions do not support the proposals under consultation, and welcome the continuation of further negotiations;
d. That some of the main negative feedback has been about the pay structure proposed and the associated salary levels;
e. That there is concern about the JE process and apparent anomalies in the evaluation outcomes.
5. In light of the consultation feedback summarised in the report to today's meeting, Cabinet resolves not to proceed to implement the current package of pay proposals that have been consulted upon.
6. Given this decision, but in line with Cabinet's commitment to implement new pay arrangements for County Council green book employees at the earliest practicable opportunity, Cabinet:
a. Requires further pay modelling work to be undertaken, to identify a range of options meeting the overall objective in paragraph 2 above, and which specifically address the main issues raised in the consultation process, particularly those around the points to pay relationship and salary levels;
b. Confirms, in line with the feedback that has been received through the consultation, that any new pay proposals ought to continue to be (i) operationally viable - allowing and supporting services to be delivered, (ii) support the continued reform and improvement of our services - a simpler, more flexible, broader banded pay structure than current; (iii) consistent terms and conditions - seeks to harmonise terms and conditions of employment of all Green Book staff, such as overtime and car allowances; and (iv) supports performance management at all levels - contribution based pay;
c. Asks that the financial implications of the options modelled are clearly identified for Cabinet, the implications to show ongoing and once off costs, and how the financing may be achieved;
d. Agrees that the modelled options and their financial implications are developed with the involvement, if possible, of the trade unions;
e. Asks that all local managers need to continue to work closely with their staff, supported by the job evaluation and HR teams, to make sure that the fundamentals of up-to-date job descriptions and job titles, job evaluations, and organisation structures are in place for all staff and fully up to date in our SAP system;
f. Ask that the Service Review Board continues to ensure that job evaluation will be delivered as a part of the overall County Council change programme, in terms of the timing and sequencing of the programme as a whole.
g. Agrees that the next phase of work also explores how the on-going management of pay and grading arrangements and job evaluation ought best be managed within schools, in recognition of the relative responsibilities of the County Council and Heads and Governors, and the responsibility and liability for matters of equal pay for schools-based staff.
7. In view of the need for pay modernisation to be taken forward as quickly as possible, as required by the national agreement, Cabinet asks for a further report from the Chief Executive, providing an update on progress against the scope of work as set out at its March 2007 Cabinet meeting.
8. Meanwhile Cabinet agrees the importance of continued communication with all employees, and with the media and key stakeholders, and agrees a press statement and internal communication are initiated immediately following Cabinet's decision on these recommendations, and that there be an on-going programme of communication and engagement with staff, as appropriate, with regards job evaluation and single status.
Page Last Modified:
17/01/2007 11:32:38
Back to top