New council wage deal doesn't add up

Apr 3 2009 by Lisa Boyle

SCORES of council workers fear they could lose thousands of pounds of their salary.

And say they won’t be paid extra for unsociable hours under new terms set to be implemented today.

The single status package is expected to be given the go-ahead – weeks after councillors voted to give themselves a pay rise.

It means that jobs will be on a scoring system, the lower the score the lower the pay.

Union chiefs fear that the move could mean 17 per cent of the workforce will be subject to a pay cut.

Renee Gillan, branch secretary for Unison in Ayr, said that a clerical assistant currently on £15,387 will only get £11,607 under the single status agreement.

Unison have written to all councillors in a bid to make them aware of the consequences of agreeing the single status.

The controversial package has already been introduced in most other local authorities is Scotland.

It was designed to replace all existing salaries and provide for equal pay among the workforce.

But Unison have rejected it.

Renee said: “Despite our continual requests to immediately close the pay gap between men and women, many groups of women have been historically underpaid.

“South Ayrshire Council have failed to meet their legal obligations.”

Billy Cooper, Unison branch chair, added: “We are deeply concerned about the effect on key groups of basic grade workers who will suffer substantial losses.

“Many employees could be set to lose hundreds, if not thousands of pounds from their salaries.

“We could be talking about workers who make sure children are looked after and rubbish is collected.

“In some instances this will be exacerbated by the loss of unsocial hours allowances and the loss of premium rate pay for weekend working."

Elected members will make a decision on the single status package at a private meeting today.