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Agenda Item No. 5

 

 

THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL

 

CORPORATE PERFORMANCE AND RESOURCES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: 20th SEPTEMBER, 2018

 

REFERENCE FROM CABINET: 17TH SEPTEMBER, 2018

 

 

C409 NEW PAY STRUCTURE 2019/20 (L) (SCRUTINY - CORPORATE PERFORMANCE AND RESOURCES) -

 

The Leader presented the report advising that a two year pay deal had been agreed for staff on NJC Terms and Conditions for 2018/19 and 2019/20 and this would affect approximately 4,000 staff across the Council and Schools.

 

In relation to the 2019/20 changes the report provided a number of options that had been considered.  Following a number of meetings with Human Resources, Finance, Corporate Management Team and Trade Unions, Option 5 had been recommended as the preferred option.

 

As part of recent pay changes, spinal 6 and 7 had already been removed (in December 2017) from the current pay structure which meant that the current minimum hourly rate for staff on NJC terms and conditions was £8.62.  From April 2019, the minimum hourly rate would be £9.18 per hour and was likely to be just above the Voluntary Foundation Living Wage which would be announced in November 2018.

 

If Cabinet chose to support Option 5, then further consultation would commence with Scrutiny Committee on 20th September and would commence officially with the Trade Unions with the aim of reaching a collective agreement.  Briefing sessions would also be held in various offices and depots across the Council in order to explain the changes to staff.

 

Proceeding with the pay award (Option 5) would cost £2.595m for 2019/20.  This was made up from the £2.207m already allocated and the additional £388k required to implement the new pay structure.

 

Most importantly, the Leader added that the amendment to the grading structure would enable Equal Pay legislation to be met.  It would also improve the gender pay gap as the higher percentage increases were towards the lower end of the grading structure, which were predominantly held by females.  Details of this were set out in Appendix E of the report.

 

Once the consultation had been completed it would be brought back to Cabinet in November for final approval and then onto Full Council in December for sign off. 

 

This was a change to staff terms and conditions and therefore following approval the HR Department would write to all affected staff explaining the change.

 

Indications were that the Vale of Glamorgan Council was well ahead of the process for agreeing a new pay structure for its staff compared to other Welsh Local Authorities.

 

This is a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the report and appendices be noted.

 

(2)       T H A T Option 5 be progressed as the preferred option for consultation, and dependant on the outcomes of that consultation, subsequent implementation.

 

(3)       T H A T the report be referred to the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee for consideration as part of the formal consultation with Trade Unions.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       That matters be considered by Cabinet in line with corporate objectives.

 

(2)       To progress the implementation plan and the implementation of Option 5.

 

(3)       To enable the Scrutiny Committee to consider the implications of the 2019/20 pay award as part of the formal consultation with the Trade Unions.”

 

 

 

 

Attached as Appendix – Report to Cabinet: 17th September, 2018