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Council hears wage appeals
CIVIC chiefs have considered the first wave of appeals by council workers unhappy with their pay settlements as part of a major wage shake-up.
Hundreds of employees at Hartlepool Borough Council appealed against their settlements as part of a new structure that will see the authority's wage bill rise by between 2.5m and 4.7m each year until 2011.
Of the 3,000 strong workforce that was affected by the original job evaluation process, imposed nationally following a European Union agreement in the 1990s, 439 employees have appealed against their settlement, including school staff.
Of those, 113 have appealed because they were told they were losing money, 190 because their pay was staying the same and 119 because they were not happy with the level of their pay rise.
A further 17 appeals came from employees who have since left the council.
Labour councillor Robbie Payne met to consider the first 39 appeals in the "high priority" category, which is those employees told they were losing money.
Coun Payne ratified the decision of the appeals panel at a meeting of his finance and performance portfolio and approved confidential proposals that saw the wage of seven employees go up, 30 remain the same and two go down.
All of the employees will be informed of the decision by letter and council officers will continue to consider the remaining appeals.
Joanne Machers, the council's chief personnel officer, said: "It is about ensuring that the robustness of the appeals process continues and we refer any decisions that the panel makes back to the portfolio holder for them to consider and ratify."
There is a pay protection scheme for those who face a pay cut that will see their wages remain the same until March 31, 2011.
Councils across the country were forced to re-evaluate pay scales as part of an equal pay European agreement signed in 1992.
A report to the meeting said: "Provision for the ongoing costs of appeal outcomes has been made in the council's base budget since 2007-08 to meet the cost of implementing any successful appeals from April 1, 2007.
"This provision was initially set at 400,000, inclusive of employers national insurance and pension costs, for 2007-08.
"This figure has been increased in the budget by the annual cost of living pay award and at 2009-10 prices amounts to 415,000."
Schools have made separate provision in their own budgets for appeals by school staff.
There is no further route of appeal once the initial appeal has been considered.
Council employees who have seen a reduction in their pay because of the single status agreement are being dealt with first.
Employees who stayed the same or gained a pay increase, but feel as though they should have received more, will then be assessed.
The pay is backdated to April 1, 2007, so appeals are also being heard from former employees who have since left the local authority.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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