Single Status

WOLVO: "NO HONORARIUM - AND NO STRIKE EITHER"

15-02-2008

The councillor in charge of Wolverhampton’s Single Status pay review has dismissed claims on this website that a Council official has been granted a £30,000 "honorarium" – and says he would be "shocked and amazed" if workers followed the example of colleagues in Birmingham by striking over their new contracts.

We reported allegations earlier this week that a senior analyst on the city’s Single Status project was being given a 30K bonus as a reward for his hard work – alienating other staff who are facing wage cuts (see link here) Milkinder Jaspal – the Cabinet Member for Organisation, People and Performance – flatly denies the story.

He said the honorarium claims were “false rumours coming from people who’ve lost money or who are potentially losing money”.

There was, he said, one employee who has speedily climbed the ranks by dint of his skills and in-depth knowledge of the subject, but insisted that there had been no special payments.

“There is no truth in that whatsoever” he said. “If there was cheque like that I would have to sign it, and I definitely haven’t.”

Jaspal argues that Wolverhampton has attempted to introduce Single Status as fairly as possible, with the aim of avoiding the industrial conflict seen in Brum.

He points out that qualifying workers will receive six years back pay without having to take legal action (in Birmingham, just four years payment is being offered) while staff who’ve recently left the authority have nine months to lodge a claim (the law sets the time limit at six months).

There will still be some painful effects, with more than 2,000 workers set to lose out, but Jaspal believes his conciliatory negotiating stance will see off the threat of a walkout.

“We’ve been keen to have the unions on board and have been meeting them every two weeks” he explained.

“We’ve agreed the criteria with them, and they’ve now been sent off to Head Office where they are awaiting approval.

“I’d be shocked and amazed if there was strike action.”