Council to pursue 4% salary cut and other changes to T&Cs
Doncaster Council this week proposed a 4% salary cut for staff from 1 April as it grapples with the need to make £71m in savings over a four-year period.
The changes to terms and conditions were approved by the authority’s employee relations committee earlier this week.
The proposals, which are estimated to save £6.2m, also included:
- A reduction in the working week of one hour for all full-time staff (pro rata for others). Some groups of staff will have the option to remain at their current working hours and just be affected by the pay cut
- The very lowest paid staff (i.e. those earning £15,000 or less) will be offered an element of tapering with a combination of partial and full protection
- A guaranteed minimum pay increase of 2.5% in April 2013. This would only not be implemented if the government adversely changed the existing Comprehensive Spending Review that covers 2013/14
- Incremental progression to take place every two years, instead of annually, for those who have not yet reached the top of the grade. No increments will be paid before there has been a full year worked in the post. There will be a review of this arrangement during October/November of 2014, with any changes will be effective from 1 April 2015
- Overtime and premium rates to be reduced to time and a quarter from time and a half. Bank holidays will remain unchanged at double time, with the arrangement for an additional lieu day removed with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
- Annual leave entitlements to have no broad scale standardisation of core annual leave entitlement, except in reducing entitlements at the top levels. The maximum entitlement will be 30 days, plus three and two additional days after five and ten years’ continuous service.
Issues not to be pursued in light of these proposals: sickness pay entitlements have been withdrawn; the current pay date of 15th of each month to remain unchanged; the current car mileage rate to remain at the current rate of 50p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and remain at 25p thereafter; flexitime scheme changes have been withdrawn; and long service awards to have no monetary award, but a recognition ceremony will continue to be arranged.
It was also agreed that schools-based staff would be withdrawn from the current negotiations, and not reintroduced unless there is a successful equal pay/value challenge at a future date.
Committee chair Cllr Craig Sahman claimed after the meeting on Monday that government funding cuts had had a disproportionate impact on Doncaster compared to other local authorities across the country.
“"As a committee we recognise and share the pain associated with the recommendations. However, sadly it is not a choice, but rather a necessity, that the council is being forced to manage such a disgraceful cut to our spending,” he said.”
"Staffing is the biggest cost to any local authority and it is our elected duty to make sure we balance the budget during what are incredibly tough times. Whilst we wish we didn't have to make such a difficult decision, we regard supporting this proposal as the best way in limiting further impact on staff, jobs and front line services as much as we can.”
Cllr Sahman added that in response to concern expressed by union representatives over salaries of chief officers, he had requested a separate review to be carried out. This will report brought back to the committee “to ensure those who are paid the most shoulder the greatest burden”.
The recommendations followed what the council’s chief executive, Jo Miller, described as “months of long and complex negotiations with unions and feedback from staff”.
The unions will now ballot their members on the recommendations. But Jim Board of Unison told the BBC that it would not recommend acceptance of the deal.
A notice to employees to vary their contracts of employment is expected to be sent on 20 February.
The local authority stressed £71m was a net figure. “Allowing for re-investment and spending on front-line service areas, including safeguarding children and adult social care – as well as general inflation – mean the gross cuts needed over four years are approximately £103m,” it suggested.
Philip Hoult
| Changing Terms and Conditions of Employment | A contract of employment cannot generally be varied unilaterally by either party. So how can an employer effect necessary changes? This session introduces the relevant concepts, suggests alternative strategies and highlights potential pitfalls. |
| Employment Restructuring and Reorganisation | This course will give an overview of the key employment issues that arise when carrying out a restructuring and reorganisation exercise, taking delegates through the steps that should be followed and the issues that need to be considered. |
| Employment Law Update | This course covers developments in three main areas: Social media cases; reasonable adjustments; and redundancy. It also briefly highlights recent changes and those on the horizon. |
| Modern Workplaces | The webinar looks at the Government’s four-stage plan for "a culture of flexible, family-friendly employment practices" as set out in the Modern Workplaces Consultation published in the Summer. |
| Employment Case Law Update | This webinar considers recent developments in employment case law relating to a variety of different subject areas, including TUPE, discrimination and equal pay. |
| Public Service Mutuals - Understanding the Legal Implications | This webinar examines the features of public service mutuals, the motivations for setting one up and what the key legal and practical issues are for local authority teams who are called upon to evaluate the proposals. |
| Claims under the Equality Act 2010 | This webinar examines the remedies available, the pitfalls for claimants and defendents and the circumstances when the County Court, Tribunal Service or Judicial Review is likely to be the most appropriate venue for claims under the Equality Act 2010. |
| State Aid and Staff Mutuals | This webinar focuses on issues arising from the policy move by the government to encourage the formation of staff mutuals by public sector employees to take over the running of services from their employers. |
- Details
Doncaster Council this week proposed a 4% salary cut for staff from 1 April as it grapples with the need to make £71m in savings over a four-year period.
The changes to terms and conditions were approved by the authority’s employee relations committee earlier this week.
The proposals, which are estimated to save £6.2m, also included:
- A reduction in the working week of one hour for all full-time staff (pro rata for others). Some groups of staff will have the option to remain at their current working hours and just be affected by the pay cut
- The very lowest paid staff (i.e. those earning £15,000 or less) will be offered an element of tapering with a combination of partial and full protection
- A guaranteed minimum pay increase of 2.5% in April 2013. This would only not be implemented if the government adversely changed the existing Comprehensive Spending Review that covers 2013/14
- Incremental progression to take place every two years, instead of annually, for those who have not yet reached the top of the grade. No increments will be paid before there has been a full year worked in the post. There will be a review of this arrangement during October/November of 2014, with any changes will be effective from 1 April 2015
- Overtime and premium rates to be reduced to time and a quarter from time and a half. Bank holidays will remain unchanged at double time, with the arrangement for an additional lieu day removed with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
- Annual leave entitlements to have no broad scale standardisation of core annual leave entitlement, except in reducing entitlements at the top levels. The maximum entitlement will be 30 days, plus three and two additional days after five and ten years’ continuous service.
Issues not to be pursued in light of these proposals: sickness pay entitlements have been withdrawn; the current pay date of 15th of each month to remain unchanged; the current car mileage rate to remain at the current rate of 50p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and remain at 25p thereafter; flexitime scheme changes have been withdrawn; and long service awards to have no monetary award, but a recognition ceremony will continue to be arranged.
It was also agreed that schools-based staff would be withdrawn from the current negotiations, and not reintroduced unless there is a successful equal pay/value challenge at a future date.
Committee chair Cllr Craig Sahman claimed after the meeting on Monday that government funding cuts had had a disproportionate impact on Doncaster compared to other local authorities across the country.
“"As a committee we recognise and share the pain associated with the recommendations. However, sadly it is not a choice, but rather a necessity, that the council is being forced to manage such a disgraceful cut to our spending,” he said.”
"Staffing is the biggest cost to any local authority and it is our elected duty to make sure we balance the budget during what are incredibly tough times. Whilst we wish we didn't have to make such a difficult decision, we regard supporting this proposal as the best way in limiting further impact on staff, jobs and front line services as much as we can.”
Cllr Sahman added that in response to concern expressed by union representatives over salaries of chief officers, he had requested a separate review to be carried out. This will report brought back to the committee “to ensure those who are paid the most shoulder the greatest burden”.
The recommendations followed what the council’s chief executive, Jo Miller, described as “months of long and complex negotiations with unions and feedback from staff”.
The unions will now ballot their members on the recommendations. But Jim Board of Unison told the BBC that it would not recommend acceptance of the deal.
A notice to employees to vary their contracts of employment is expected to be sent on 20 February.
The local authority stressed £71m was a net figure. “Allowing for re-investment and spending on front-line service areas, including safeguarding children and adult social care – as well as general inflation – mean the gross cuts needed over four years are approximately £103m,” it suggested.
Philip Hoult
| Changing Terms and Conditions of Employment | A contract of employment cannot generally be varied unilaterally by either party. So how can an employer effect necessary changes? This session introduces the relevant concepts, suggests alternative strategies and highlights potential pitfalls. |
| Employment Restructuring and Reorganisation | This course will give an overview of the key employment issues that arise when carrying out a restructuring and reorganisation exercise, taking delegates through the steps that should be followed and the issues that need to be considered. |
| Employment Law Update | This course covers developments in three main areas: Social media cases; reasonable adjustments; and redundancy. It also briefly highlights recent changes and those on the horizon. |
| Modern Workplaces | The webinar looks at the Government’s four-stage plan for "a culture of flexible, family-friendly employment practices" as set out in the Modern Workplaces Consultation published in the Summer. |
| Employment Case Law Update | This webinar considers recent developments in employment case law relating to a variety of different subject areas, including TUPE, discrimination and equal pay. |
| Public Service Mutuals - Understanding the Legal Implications | This webinar examines the features of public service mutuals, the motivations for setting one up and what the key legal and practical issues are for local authority teams who are called upon to evaluate the proposals. |
| Claims under the Equality Act 2010 | This webinar examines the remedies available, the pitfalls for claimants and defendents and the circumstances when the County Court, Tribunal Service or Judicial Review is likely to be the most appropriate venue for claims under the Equality Act 2010. |
| State Aid and Staff Mutuals | This webinar focuses on issues arising from the policy move by the government to encourage the formation of staff mutuals by public sector employees to take over the running of services from their employers. |
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