Council staff hit out at pay cuts

Iain Robertson • Published 9 Dec 2009 12:02 45 Comments

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CLACKMANNANSHIRE Council workers' salaries are set to be slashed in the biggest shake up of pay and conditions in the administration's history.

Staff have been informed by letter how the single status agreement - designed to end pay inequality between male and female workers - will affect them.

One worker told the Advertiser that morale is now at rock bottom as the implications of the financial time bomb begins to hit home.

She added, "I have heard that some individuals could have wage reductions of up to £6000."

Clackmannanshire Council chief executive Angela Leitch accepts that reductions are a real concern for people but insists the move is essential to address historic pay inequalities between groups of male and female workers and promote modern flexible working practices.

She said, "Around half of our employees will remain broadly within the same salary band, and a quarter will see their grade go up.

"For the remainder the outcome is that the job grade is reduced, but basic pay levels will be protected for a period of three years."

The Scottish Parliament's local government committee admitted during the summer that local authorities faced claims of up to £1 billion as a consequence of single status.

Clackmannanshire Council says its pay bill will increase by around three per cent next year, with the chief executive admitting that funding this will be a major challenge in such difficult times.

Ms Leitch added, "This is a major challenge but it will be an investment in supporting and developing staff which we are confident will pay future dividends."

Depute leader Bobby McGill said, "We are asking that employees sign up to the single status structure, but there is an appeal process and an informal review process open to employees who feel that they have not been graded appropriately.

"We recognise that wage reductions are a real concern for the people affected, but we have three years to address this and we are committed to up-skilling, training and developing individuals' roles during that period so that, wherever possible, we will minimise any long term loss."

SNP group leader Donald Balsillie said this is a massive issue complicated by the financial crisis the council faces and what he claims is Labour's mismanagement of it.

He told the Advertiser, "In opposition we have been trying to establish the amount that has been allocated in the reserves to cover single status and the figures we have been given have changed over time.

"This council has been working on single status since 2000/2001 and the delay itself is unacceptable. I believe we are one of the last councils in the country to put this in place which puts us in danger of breaking equal status pay requirements."

Councillor Balsillie added, "Staff were due to receive notification of new pay arrangements in September. It was delayed as the size of the council's financial problem was exposed and it is difficult to see how the two things are not unconnected."

The council had been in discussions with trade unions to formulate a single status agreement but the talks broke down.

Ms Leitch added, "While Council management and trade unions have worked hard over a long period to negotiate and shape the new package, in the end an agreement could not be finalised. Having had the proposals endorsed by an independent equalities expert, the council has decided to progress by inviting employees individually to sign up to the revised terms."

The new scheme is scheduled to go live in March 2010.

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

Gerry Shott
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Dec 9, 12:58
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Pay bill to increase.... so how on earth has the Council suddenly manufactured an £800,000 saving for 2010/11 as a result of this (as per special Council meeting of 30/11/09)? My cousin is going down by a fraction under £7000 and he isn't highly paid to start with. Over 10 years service, kick in the teeth, Merry Christmas. I hear of others going down thousands - again relatively low paid workers. As a nice touch the Council should really have paid extra for postal staff to wear a grim reaper outfit whilst delivering their letters.

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 9, 14:11
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"grim reaper outfit" - hahaha, ah like that yin neebur. Mibbae the heid yins at the cooncil should be wearin them tae ken!

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Greg Arius
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Dec 9, 15:03
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A more devisive and instantaneously demoralising measure you would struggle to find. Anyone with a modicum of sense can see that this has been pulled back from the brink time and time as bottles crashed when the true figures were arrived at and it became increasingly apparent as sums were done ( too late ) that contingency monies that should have been set aside had not been, magnified recently with the latest financial black hole appearing as large as a jungle celebritys ego neccesitating another rethink and redrawing of the boundaries to claw more millions back through a reduction in pay to the authority workers.- NOTHING to do with pay or gender parity- that is frankly a nonsense and a direct acid spit in the eye to council workers who should have been consulted in greater depth rather than a hideously protracted and arms length process and should also have been treated with more comapssion than it appears has been the case. Grim Reapers? Black Suited Santas more like.

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Mrs T
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Dec 9, 15:12
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I work for the council and was notified on Saturday that I will be set for a reduction of over 2500. I only work part time as a clerical assistant so this is going to be a big loss for me. I cannot understand how a new pay structure that is meant to end inequality between males and females has resulted in a cut to my pay. The vast majority of clerical assistants in my office are females afterall.

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Rab Lafferty
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Dec 11, 11:30
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I myself am a council employee and i have never seen anything like this in my 18 years as a local gov employee. Its sickening that anyone in this present climate be asked to take a wage cut when everything else is heading north..This is the short sighted idealism I have seen over the last couple of years from the folks who are now running the council.

Sadly the unions themselves havent done any good either,they havent been protecting the members as they did do few years back, Im sorry but i am sickened like everyone else and demoralised doesnt even come close to how everyone is feeling, the managers in my dept have all went up,it looks to me like front line again have taken the hit to finance the wages of the chsoen few up the ladder and also to try filling the black hole created by the same chosen few.I knew this was coming right enough, thats why the councils recent intake of agency workers has increased 10 fold just to make sure they are covered if any Industrial action takes place because of this..Thanks Clacks Council and Thanks The Unions once again for doing very litte....Expect a lot less members soon.

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 11, 12:52
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aye Rab, and of course if there is ony of yon industrial action is it no right that the cooncil will make further savins through not havin tae pay staff who doon tools? The heid yins will no doubt be hopin fur that.

If yon labour cooncil can kick low paid members of their own staff in the nether regions like this then ah hate tae imagine what thay've got planned fur us neeburs.

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Russell Bricap
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Dec 14, 19:05
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Single status is meant to be about greater fai

ess and equality, yet anyone who has a modicum of intelligence can see that the vast majority of those hit will be the lower paid, in which jobs there are a massively disproportionate number of women - so much for fai

ess and equality. With reference to the so-called limited number whose pay is going down, all of those whose pay is, officially, remaining the same are in fact losing out, as they will be working the equivalent of a week and a half more per year for the same pay. Additionally, the Council, including its wonderful new Chief Exec, can look at the additional expenditure there will be to pay for the new pay scheme, but this is solely due to the 3 protection there will be for those whose pay has gone down. What will the saving be 3 years from now? And for those a few years away from receiving a pension, they will have their 3 years' protection and will then receive a lower salary upon which their pension will be based, resulting in potentially major impacts upon plans for retirement. And Happy Christmas to you Ms Leitch!!

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 14, 20:40
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Ah did a wee search on t'interweb aboot aw this and found a site cawed 'action 4 equality scotland'. It seems tae have some crackin tips fur staff who find themselfs own the sharp end of the cooncil pay structure stick.

It wid be interestin tae see aw the official info fae the cooncil own aw this single status stuff tae see how legit it aw is - percentage of folk up and doon, how jobs wur scored etc. Mibbae someone clever will fire in a carefully well crafted freedom oh information query tae the heid yins tae get some answers fur the neeburs. Ah wid dae it bit ma spellin occasionally lets me doon.

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Clacks
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Dec 15, 07:19
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All senior management keep their 2% annual increase while staff such as cleaners, catering staff, bin men, care workers, social workers and call centre workers experience as much as 25% decreases in wages for some this is as much as £7,000 drop in wages. They are also planning to make staff work for an extra hour for no extra pay.

Also they are going to pay staff 50% of their wages in April as they move from a 2 week backdated wage to a monthly wage all in the name of equalities. The council also has announced a £9m deficit in its budget. Sounds more like a cost saving exercise than an equalities pay exercise. Also why are senor management, craft workers and teachers exempt from this. This has been announced to staff 2 weeks before Christmas

Furthermore why have elected members agreed to this I blame the labour party. voted in to look after the working class and who do they punish the low paid workers of the organisation while the fat cats of senior management keep their fat cat wages .

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Ms F
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Dec 15, 19:23
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Absolutely shocking!!! The council should be ashamed of themselves! they put the ppp and fjf into one pot and then spent it!! Many many disheartened employess..we are paying for mistakes that finance made! and this was supposed to be fair.. what's fair in this???

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Willy Braid
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Dec 16, 20:16
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Don't let them con you into single status, it usually means downgrading many, and upgrading few.

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council worker
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Dec 16, 20:38
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Iam a roadsweeper an earn £15,400 per year and i will be going down to £11,300 to say i am annoyed is a understatement

I will drop £4,000

Merry xmas

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 17, 00:55
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The mair ah hear aboot aw this the mair it saddens me. Stand up tae the heid yins and dinnae let them push ye intae signing up tae this new pay structure. The cooncil need to come out and demonstrate tae their workers how and why they think this new structure is fair overall.

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council worker
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Dec 17, 06:30
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I sent the form back refusing the new contract i have been 20 yrs wth the council the £11,300 is wages i was getting 10yrs ago!the council don't care about its workers! no wonder us council workers feel like telling the council where to stick their jobs but we can't we have bills and mortages to pay it sucks!!!!!!!

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Council Worker
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Dec 17, 23:38
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My wages are 11,500 to strat with my workload has increased over the last 3 years to almost double, i get paid 2k less then other guys doing the very same job as me, i have argued this with unions since i started 14 years ago.I thought that this discrimination would stop with single status but sadly it hasnt..I am now trying to get a lawyer to take clacks council to court on the grounds discriminatio, I am in the process of that at the moment, the unions have done nothing to protect my rights as an employee, The convenor PR who i have called on many occasions hasnt even as much as answered my calls, so I am going to stand alone and try and stop this by means of using the law thats there to protect my human rights and put a stop to this expoitation once and for all.In the end its the future of my children i am protecting by the actions of this sad lot of over paid primadonas who run teh council now..This county is filthy because we cant pay street cleaners for over management. Lobby your Mp.

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Council Worker
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Dec 17, 23:53
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Look at the tree, from the very top down.....Its all friends who hold the highest positions, no transparency there, its easy to see what was happening when this council went out on its own, you could see whatw as taking place..There is some people who deserve to lose there job, those who are behind the multi million mismanagement of money. This is a prime example of what happens when to many cooks, but no nothing will happen, the tax payers will of course pick up the tab while those responsible will pick up there sick pay{some of them off now i believe}, if everyone who is angry about this writes to the Scottish office how they feel about the way this council is being run they will listen, after all thats why we the taxpayer elected them..The head of finance would be teh first head on the block,after all he authorizes every penny spent within the Councils budget, and lets face it he ahsnt been doing to good a job of it as late, and remember the Councillors YOU elected who put them in these posts.This county is getting worse, dirtier more congested, more n more houses being built{revenue collecting}and the extra cash isnt being spent on widening services,its paying the huge wages of those who penalise the poorest...

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Council Worker
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Dec 17, 23:55
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Look at the tree, from the very top down.....Its all friends who hold the highest positions, no transparency there, its easy to see what was happening when this council went out on its own, you could see whatw as taking place..There is some people who deserve to lose there job, those who are behind the multi million mismanagement of money. This is a prime example of what happens when to many cooks, but no nothing will happen, the tax payers will of course pick up the tab while those responsible will pick up there sick pay{some of them off now i believe}, if everyone who is angry about this writes to the Scottish office how they feel about the way this council is being run they will listen, after all thats why we the taxpayer elected them..The head of finance would be teh first head on the block,after all he authorizes every penny spent within the Councils budget, and lets face it he ahsnt been doing to good a job of it as late, and remember the Councillors YOU elected who put them in these posts.This county is getting worse, dirtier more congested, more n more houses being built{revenue collecting}and the extra cash isnt being spent on widening services,its paying the huge wages of those who penalise the poorest...

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Council Worker
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Dec 17, 23:59
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Look at the tree, from the very top down.....Its all friends who hold the highest positions, no transparency there, its easy to see what was happening when this council went out on its own, you could see whatw as taking place..There is some people who deserve to lose there job, those who are behind the multi million mismanagement of money. This is a prime example of what happens when to many cooks, but no nothing will happen, the tax payers will of course pick up the tab while those responsible will pick up there sick pay{some of them off now i believe}, if everyone who is angry about this writes to the Scottish office how they feel about the way this council is being run they will listen, after all thats why we the taxpayer elected them..The head of finance would be teh first head on the block,after all he authorizes every penny spent within the Councils budget, and lets face it he ahsnt been doing to good a job of it as late, and remember the Councillors YOU elected who put them in these posts.This county is getting worse, dirtier more congested, more n more houses being built{revenue collecting}and the extra cash isnt being spent on widening services,its paying the huge wages of those who penalise the poorest...

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 18, 13:07
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There must be a fair nummer of cooncil workies feeling strongly aboot aw this.... ah mean, on here alone there's even 3 of them saying exactly the same thing!

Ah heard the cooncil workies huv their big bash at the town hall the night. Am sure they'll all be in high spirits celebrating yon new pay packet and keen tae raise a glass tae the heid yins. Probably handy that the polis are no far away!

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GAR
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Dec 21, 12:33
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This is disgusting. The council workers do an excellent job and should be treated with respect. Mind you, the elected members in Clackmannanshire have no respect for anybody but themselves. They don't care about the public nevermind their workers. Roll on the next election. GET THEM OUT. If the workers were left to deal with their jobs, we would have a far better council.

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I C Red
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Dec 22, 07:36
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"Angela Leitch accepts that reductions are a real concern for people but insists the move is essential to address historic pay inequalities between groups of male and female workers and promote modern flexible working practices"

What's so modern about taking 2 weeks pay from employees by transferring them to a 4-weekly cycle in arrears and then a monthly cycle come 2011?? Unabashed robbery thats what it is!

The public should understand that this exercise is not about "inequalities" it's about filling a hole in a gaping budget deficit. If any of the public care to do so, visit your Councillors surgery and ask them why the Council have wasted money on this exercise when the reality is, they had settled most of the issues about 'inequalities' BEFORE implementing SS ... if you dont believe me just look at the previous Council accounts where they had budgeted for addressing issues involving the likes of cleaners etc!!

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Bruce Banner
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Dec 24, 12:32
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Hearing about these pay cuts makes me feel very VERY ANGRY.

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Mrs I M Fuming
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Dec 26, 23:24
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How on earth is Clackmannanshire Council being allowed to get away with this? How has the National papers not got a hold of this and show the council for what they really are corrupt? If the council was looking for ways to save money perhaps they should be looking closer to home and getting rid of people who are constantly off sick for one reason or another…(with full pay). Stop free meals for staff in schools, which would save the council over £100,000 a year. Cut the amount of management posts that just seems to get bigger every year. I think there needs to be a clearout of councillors within the council who were obviously in on this and who think that it is fair to hit the people who are the lowest paid. I would like to know for single status to have taken over eight years to resolve and put in place how in the course of three months they managed to slash everyone's salaries and grades and crawl out the financial black hole that they were in!

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F'in Ragin
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Dec 27, 11:24
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I am a council worker in a school and would like to know which school staff get free meals Mrs I M Fuming? because certainly I don't !!! My grades was supposed to be going up until the council announced their 'black hole' I feel that the hard work that we do to support children with learning/behavioural difficulties in schools is not important to the council, not only do they not give us pay rises they cut our hours left, right and center. Get rid of the people at the top that sit on their backsides and come up with ways to give themselves more money while taking it away fromt he people that ACTUALLY do work!!!!!!!! I am disgusted at the way we have neem treated and the time of year that the council decided to eventually issue the single status packs, clearly they don't think much of their staff. If I was to do the same job in any of the other councils that we border I would get paid a lot more and be appreciated for what I do.

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Gerry Shott
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Dec 28, 01:28
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"I am a council worker in a school and would like to know which school staff get free meals Mrs I M Fuming?"

Supervisory staff monitoring dining halls at lunchtime, I understand, get free meals on the basis that they are effectively working through their own lunch break. My wife used to do this job in Alloa some years ago and it was certainly the case then. Other education staff have to pay the going rate, with VAT on top of course.

It seems that, like my cousin who is going down a massive £7000, there are many workers who are in line for a pay cut.

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Mrs I M Fuming
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Dec 29, 19:02
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Mr Shott I also work in a school and trying not to mention NAMES i was refering to teachers, head teachers and some support staff who regularly have lunch, on the house when they earn a great deal more than us low paid workers. To my knowledge any staff in school who is willing to have thier lunch with the children are entitled to this free. Getting back to my point if cuts were made like ths one perhaps there would not be as much need to slash low workers pay!!

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Robert H
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Dec 31, 08:16
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IC Red raised an interesting point. Are we to believe that council workers are going to have 2 weeks pay witheld in order to then pay them 4 weekly in arrears? If that is the case then methinks their union should be taking the matter up with an employment tribunal as it could be regarded as an illegal deduction.

Reading some of the posts on here it certainly appears that the Chief Executive as acted rather precipitously in forcing the changes on council workers but what is more interesting is the lack of comment from other councillors on the 'Labour' side, then again, I suppose when you have a Conservative run council like Clackmannanshire does one wouldn't expect them to care.

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 31, 13:04
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"Conservative run council like Clackmannanshire" - hahaha... nice yin Robert. Aye, it's like havin yon Iron Lady Thatcher at the helm ken. Hahaha.

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Andrew Stafford
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Jan 2, 13:50
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If the council were to cut overheads like Derek Stewart's Meal allowance then perhaps they wouldn't need to cut wages.

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bob
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Jan 3, 00:55
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2100 staff over 1500 imposition letters sent out.

That is some percentage of no chuffed staff.

Somit tells me something maybe went wrong or someone has maybe meddled just to much.

Defo a cash cutting job no equality here.

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bob
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Jan 3, 01:00
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aboot time those elected councilours stood up and showed some courage and ditch the CEO. send her back to edinburgh to run a wee dept again like libruarys

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bill
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Jan 3, 01:06
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Depute leader Bobby McGill said, "We are asking that employees sign up to the single status structure, but there is an appeal process and an informal review process open to employees who feel that they have not been graded appropriatelyrnbobby again misled again... it will take three years for the appeals. the council will no resolve anyones grade until they do them awww.

ahh well i am sure there will be a wee election sometime soon !!! bye bobby

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jimmy
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Jan 3, 16:34
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http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/UploadedFiles/Decision032-2009.pdf

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Mr Kidd
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Jan 4, 23:58
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"I am a roadsweeper an earn £15,400 per year and i will be going down to £11,300 to say i am annoyed is a understatement" - although its very sad that people will be forced to take massive pay cuts, £11,300 is a more realistic salary for a road sweeper.

Robert H "If that is the case then methinks their union should be taking the matter up with an employment tribunal as it could be regarded as an illegal deduction" - moving to 12 monthly payments will save money (taxpayers money remember) and providing staff are consulted and informed, there is no breach of contract under employment law and a contract can be changed/ amended at a later date. For any employment matters, I find www.acas,org.uk - spatting off that your going to seek legal advice will show to council officials that you do not even know the basics... They'll run rings round you and you'll waste money. Research other local authorities who have completed single status - Fife and Stirling Councils have.

Not wanting sound negative, but this will go through, I would start looking for another job ASAP - take control of your own situation.

Finally on an ambition note - 10 and 14 years in the same job... Is working for the council that good?

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Mr Gotta B Kiddin
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Jan 6, 02:10
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Mr Kidd - Why stop there... why should roadsweeps get paid at all? They surely should be happy to be provided with a clean uniform to wear and the opportunity to converse socially with the local community. In fact should THEY not actually be paying the council for the privilege of holding such a role?!? Maybe you could suggest that to the council's management.

Also, what has a change to the salary payment method got to do with single status as you suggest? Does any change to core employment conditions, within the Public Sector, not require the approval of unions and employees to formally agree the change? In fact, think about it - how does a simple change to pay frequency and method actually save money in council budget terms (other than reducing payroll transaction costs and cashflow benefits)? Sure, you claw back advance payments but in fact you will still have to pay the exact same sum of money over 12 months as any advance payment would previously have been adjusted for when the published accounts were prepared each year - so how on earth has Clackmannanshire created a saving out of it? Perhaps Paul Daniels is employed at Greenfield these days?

Your points about long serving council employees having no ambition and that they should find new jobs. I see where you're coming from - force long serving, costly superannuated employees out the door and bring the council's pension fund back in line.... as Mr Daniels would quip "that's magic!"

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degsie
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Jan 12, 00:25
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If I were a strapped for case council wanting to rid myself of several hundred staff i would cut salaries by a huge amount and watch the head count drop like a stone. Many will resign and find better paid work.

I would then sit back and think what a great job i've done. I got rid of a couple of hundred employees AND I DIDNAE PAY A PENNY IN REDUNDANCY!

So how many staff will just leave and make her day?

Surprised our great union leader provost, Derek Stewart has said nothing about this. Its the unions that paid his way to Provost yet he says nothing...

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WTF
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Jan 31, 10:39
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How did it go with the council trying to sell the land at the old Alloa academy ? Remember the land that did not belong to them,the land that was given to them for educational and recreational purposes only...that it you have it now. There is your reason for getting shafted and wage cuts. So the land can only be used for 2 purposes.Why are we building a new college on the main road ?We have the land and what a prime site it is,and this land would also accomodate a new school (for the 2 primarys getting shut down) I might have this wrong. Sell Hawkhill plot and the old st Johns, as i do believe that land belongs to the Council. But there again whats in it for others ?

I have read that the head of finance has left...why ? This is a person that has done nothing wrong,he done his job. He was a scape goat for powers above and all you so called Councillors. I for 1 hope the truth comes out.When the public get to see the truth they will be 100% behind him.The unions know he was not to blame. I would like to ask how many of the so called Councillors,can look that man in the eye.You are all a disgrace.....Yet you give full controll to an unemployable woman (the Leitch).Did any of you read her cv ?Did any of you think to ask her previously employers what she was like.For such a high profile job,you failed the staff and public. Labour out and SNP in.What a pity there are not 15 or 17 Craig Holdens. I just wish you all had let the Scottish office sort out the job evaluation farce.

I for 1 is not happy with my new pay scale.

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WTF
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Jan 31, 10:49
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How long is it going to take the incompetant people from the HR dpt to get our job evaluation documents out to us.After all they did get our 90 day notice letters out within a week.BUT there agian it did take them 10 years to get to this stage. I would like to make a suggestion here.I say get rid of HR save ££££s then get monkeys in as Councillors....leave Craig,George wee Irene and him fi Dollar and 1 more i can't think of.Sorry Dec n Bobby (the chuckle brothers)and the clueless head.

You have all shamed yourselves.

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jake
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Jan 31, 11:49
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I,m a council employee who is a bit unhappy about this Job Evaluation.I,m in a skilled job but have been catagorised the same as the person that pulls a wheelie bin on to the back of a bin lorry. I work from 9 till 4.45 unlike the above mentioned who works from 7.30 and is finnished at 1.00 and ready to go home.I have nothing against the poor bin man,but 3 years to get a qualification.Was it worth it ?

Now on to the big wage earners the Leitch £100k and her heads of dpts £60k who don't come in to the job evaluation scheme...they are exempt. WHY ?

Are councillors included ? HR say it is the minimum qualification you need to to your job...well i know some of the councillors and a monkey with a stick has more up top.

Get them out...NOW, Before there is no Clacks council left.

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Alloa Al
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Feb 1, 16:18
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How can this poor woman sleep at night.

I agree with part of what you say Jake but you have to look at it from another point,the bin men are out in all weather.We all feel we are under payed,we all shop in the same shops and pay the same prices. The way it has been going with Clacks Council for a good few years now,is them higher up the tree got the big wage increase.I blame the unions there as at 1 time we all got a £20 or £30 across the board pay rise.Then it went to percentages,that was when it started to show up what the low payed were getting. The unions didn't act on this...what do they care? Forget a percentage go back to same for all system.As for this Job Evaluation,is it not about time we all got together and brought in Cross the Lawyers that were going to take the unions to court.It would be money well spent.We all know the lies that are comming from the Council about this.

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Alloa Al
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Feb 1, 16:28
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I have just read over some of the letters again.

WHO did the land belong to that the council tried to sell ? Did heads roll for this.I thought we had a Planning dpt and a Legal dpt. They are getting as bad as H R.

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JIMMY lAFFERTY
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Feb 2, 23:37
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The council only need to get agreement from Lord Mar regarding sale of Alloa Academy grounds, this wont be difficult considering the same powers to be allowed permission for his land{Mar Estate area new housing} be sold for housing one favour deserves another...They have sold everything off and own very little now, but bearing in mind they really own nothing as its teh taxpayers who won it...Voice your concern at the next local elections by voting this Labour lot out of office, its 1 thing doing whats right but another thing doing everyone..and thats what they have proven to do time and time again. PsIts time Clacks council to hand the pvt plate back SL1 back to lord Mar as well, a loans a loan right enough...or is it.

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******
Feb 5, 07:48
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BIG ALAN
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Feb 5, 07:48
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2 Questions for Angela Leach (Leach by name - Leech by nature)

1/ Why were all the single status forms pulled back in for assessment by you on September 16 2009 just one day before posting and on the same day that the council discovered the £9.2m 'black hole'?

2/ Why,after being told for several years and including up to the beginning of September 2009 that the number of red circles (pay cuts) would be no more than 14% yet when you pulled them back in for reassessment (see question 1) this rose dramatically to 30%? A rat is being smelled here Angela. By the way,are you enjoying your green circle? (pay rise)

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Jimmy Lafferty
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Feb 8, 23:26
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Disgusting set of values from those Councillors who had anything to do with this, sad thing is those people are supposed to be Labour Councillors...The Labour Party is funded through Union contributions, they wont be getting no more from me as the Unison Branch of this Council isnt nothing short of a joke...Fairley good for some, its andy when you ask pople do go on strike and yet work through it yourself! this is unison..Done nothing for me and they dont even reply to phone messages in time of need let alone represent you when the need arises.This whole issue of of cost cutting is sickening and as low paid workers who can hardly live on the low wages as it is to be forced to take wage cuts and work more hours is something that comes from an employers thats sick to the core,and unions have helped with these changes whether they tell you differently, i for one had all my conditions of service changed prior to the single status coming into effect, brought about by Unsion rep and management, and lost 2k a year then asked to take a further cut when this was implemented. Well the first thing i will not be paying when my savings have dried up trying to live will be my council tax, the services i pay for arent being provided properly,you wouldnt pay for something that doesnt work so why should council tax be any different.Good luck to all the Council employees in your quest for representation and fair wage structure, it isnt going to happen unless you can take the Council to court if you feel your being Discrinated against,as in my case this is a fact as i am working for 2k less than other people doing the very same identical job as myself..How would that make you feel...Angry isnt the word for it.

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OmG
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Feb 10, 07:33
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JimmyrnA word of caution, if you're thinking about not paying your Council Tax because you feel you aren't receiving the service/s you pay for, then the amount of Council Tax you should NOT pay is 20% of your bill, as the government funds 80% of the Council finance!!

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