COUNCIL STAFF "DON'T UNDERSTAND" PAY REVIEW

24-08-2007

Results of a MORI poll show that a majority of Birmingham Council's 55,000 workers still haven't been won over by dramatic changes to their pay and working conditions.

The research shows that only 48% of staff had a "good understanding" of the need for change - which has been prompted by the government's imposition of Single Status, designed to end wage inequality between men and women.

MORI also say that a majority of workers still oppose the Council's proposals on how they'll fit into the new structure; they object to the new pay scales; and they don't agree with plans for changes to annual leave, which are designed to encourage greater flexibility.

The survey sounds like bleak news for the man who commissioned it - Cabinet Member for HR Alan Rudge, who has been landed with the task of bringing Europe's largest local authority into line with government legislation.

But he's staying upbeat, insisting "all of the workforce will benefit from this system".

In an effort to keep staff on board, Rudge says that meetings have been held with the uions on a daily basis since the start of the year and are now twice daily.

Single Status should have been implementedby last April's deadline, but the has been delayed - not least because objections and appeals in other parts of the country have created new legal precedents.

Employees will finally be told next month how much they'll gain or lose - with 90% expected to get the same pay as now or more; but 10% will get less than now- in some cases losing up to £20,000 a year - once a three year protected period is over.

So far more than 2,000 underpaid workers have been offered back pay settlements from the Council and there's been a take up rate in excess of 90% - the others have reserved their right to legal action.

Similar offers will eventuallybe made to another 6,500 staff.

One problem delaying the settlement is the government's unwillingness to either subsidise the extra payments or to even authorise the necessary loan.

However slow moving the process seems in the big city though, bear in mind that Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall are still way behind in finalising their Single Status deal - even though it passed through parliament in 1997.

(See also "Single Status Strike Fear" )