Agenda item

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor S Sheahan:

“(a)     That this Council:

i.              notes the National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim for 2018, submitted by UNISON,GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers and calls for the immediate end of public sector pay restraint with claims referred to an appropriate sector pay review body;

ii.             recognises the sacrifice made by public sector workers during seven years of wage restraint and the ongoing cuts to local government funding and calls on the Government to provide additional funding to fund a decent pay rise for NJC employees and the pay spine review.

(b)      That this Council therefore resolves to:

i.              call immediately on the LGA to make urgent representations to the Government to fund the NJC claim and the pay spine review and notify us of their action in this regard;

ii.             write to the Prime Minister and Chancellor seeking additional           funding to fund a decent pay rise and the pay spine review;

iii.            meet with local NJC union representatives to discuss the pay          claim and the pay spine review.”

Councillor S Sheahan moved the following motion:

“(a)     That this Council:

i.              notes the National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim for 2018, submitted by UNISON,GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers and calls for the immediate end of public sector pay restraint with claims referred to an appropriate sector pay review body;

ii.             recognises the sacrifice made by public sector workers during seven years of wage restraint and the ongoing cuts to local government funding and calls on the Government to provide additional funding to fund a decent pay rise for NJC employees and the pay spine review.

(b)      That this Council therefore resolves to:

i.              call immediately on the LGA to make urgent representations to the Government to fund the NJC claim and the pay spine review and notify us of their action in this regard;

ii.             write to the Prime Minister and Chancellor seeking additional           funding to fund a decent pay rise and the pay spine review;

iii.                meet with local NJC union representatives to discuss the pay          claim and the pay spine review.”

Councillor S Sheahan stated that the motion was part of a national campaign by the Trade Unions and he was pleased to put it forward.  He added that the same motion had been put to Leicestershire County Council and he understood a very similar amendment would be put forward later in the debate.  He summarised that austerity had gone on for a very long time, wages had not kept pace with inflation and the Council had a moral duty to recognise the sacrifice made by its staff. 

The motion was seconded by Councillor N Clarke.  He stated that there was a growing appetite in the country towards a decent pay rise for council and school workers and supporting this motion in its entirety would help give the government more confidence to make the right decision.  He believed people were realising the benefits to all by giving a decent pay rise to public sector workers, which would boost retention rates, morale and performance. He concluded that the benefits outweighed the costs and he urged all members to support the motion.

Councillor R Blunt moved the following amendment to the motion:

“That this Council:-

            i.          notes the National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim for 2018, submitted by UNISON,GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers and calls for the immediate end of public sector pay restraint with claims referred to an appropriate sector pay review body;

            ii.          notes the sacrifice made by public sector workers during seven years of wage restraint and the ongoing cuts to local government funding;

            iii.         calls on the Government to fully fund any agreed pay rise for NJC employees and the pay spine review to avoid further reductions in services”.

Councillor R Blunt stated that he was very sympathetic to the impact of pay restraint over the past 7 years.  He reminded members that every 1% pay increase added an additional £190,000 to the budget and this had to be paid for somehow.  He added that the Council had adopted the living wage which had benefitted the lowest paid employees and this was a voluntary decision. 

Councillor A V Smith seconded the motion and reserved her comments. 

Councillor S Sheahan felt that the original motion was superior to the amendment and therefore he would vote against it; however he would support the amendment if it became the substantive motion. 

The Chairman then put the amendment to the vote and it was declared CARRIED.

The Chairman then put the substantive motion to the vote and it was declared unanimously CARRIED.

It was therefore

RESOLVED THAT:

a)    The National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim for 2018, submitted by UNISON,GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers be noted;

b)    Council calls for the immediate end of public sector pay restraint with claims referred to an appropriate sector pay review body;

c)    The sacrifice made by public sector workers during seven years of wage restraint and the ongoing cuts to local government funding be noted;

d)    Council calls on the Government to fully fund any agreed pay rise for NJC employees and the pay spine review to avoid further reductions in services”