Pay rise for over 300 lowest paid council workers

Hamish Hutchinson • Published 16 Feb 2012 08:00 4 Comments

MORE than 300 Clackmannanshire Council employees could see their minimum wage levels rise.

The SNP-led local authority agreed to increase the minimum living wage to £7.29 per hour subject to consultation from trade unions.

It equates to a £1.21 increase on the national minimum wage for those aged 21 and over.

The council also scrapped planned changes to staff terms and conditions by the previous administration, saving £700,000, as part of its 2012/13 budget.

Council leader Gary Womersley said, "This budget invests over £1 million pounds in council staff - it chooses not to take £700,000 worth of previously planned Labour savings through further erosion of staff terms and conditions; it invests sums in improving terms and conditions for craft & trade workers; it creates a corporate training fund to allow for targeted development of employees; it introduces a minimum living wage for all council staff."

The move has been welcomed by the Clackmannanshire branch of UNISON.

A spokesman said, "UNISON welcomes the move by Clackmannanshire Council to introduce the living wage. This is something that UNISON has been campaigning for at a national level for well over a decade and it is admirable that in these times of austerity and cuts that Clackmannanshire Council have implemented this measure which will help many of the lowest paid workers in the county."

At Thursday's budget meeting, the Labour group opposed the move saying it would put the "very successful financial strategy" of its time in office at risk. Councillor Janet Cadenhead added that the £700k was set aside as a "fallback" if there were staff redundancies.

She added, "I'd love to go along with a minimum wage as it's a Labour party policy but we also have to look at the community outside where there is high levels of unemployment and low statutory wage policies. We have committed to a budget strategy that has served us well."

Independent councillor Craig Holden said he was "astounded" that the Labour group was not wanting to bring in a minimum living wage.

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This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 15 Feb 12

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  James1967
  Unregistered User
  Feb 18, 12:02
  Report comment

  The planned £700,000 savings are yet another example of just how 'socialist' new labour has become when they are prepared to screw the people they rely on to administer and deliver the services they want. Interestingly, the only true socialist of the labour lot -Sam Ovens- failed to attend the Councils budget meeting. Now, many will see that as a minor matter, however, when one considers Sam as being the leader of the labour group his non-attendance at the most important meeting in the council calendar, bears a heightened significance & poses the question why did he not attend? It's therefore quite hypocritical of messrs Stewart, McGill and Co. to decry the actions of their former colleague Eddie Carrick for abandoning what he and his Glasgow Council colleagues must see as a rats and sinking ship scenario. Never mind folks, Ed Milliband is doing for labour what Maggie Thatcher did for tory votes in Scotland in the early 80's!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 3     No 0

• 

  Redwilly
  14 posts
  Feb 19, 11:30
  Report comment

  Nice to see a council taking care of it's workforce. I hope they never jump on the Privatisation bandwagon, in my experience it only leads to a downgrade in services and no improvement in the terms and conditions of the employees.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 2

• 

  Mark S
  Unregistered User
  Feb 22, 04:37
  Report comment

  It may be news to you "redwilly" but not everyone employed in local authority work takes home a glorious wage every month or has a golden pension pot at the end of their career. But, hey don't let that get in the way of your stereotypical council worker rant.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 0

• 

  Warren peace
  Unregistered User
  Feb 26, 00:01
  Report comment

  Its great to see the Clacks council S.N.P administration are going to give evryone a minimum hourly wage above the National minimum hourly rate,I would only assume that they will now reverse the trend that implemented last year with both cleaners and i believe Janitorial posts of cutting the hours from 37 hours a week to 25 hours and making the posts term time pay only which was a cut of 4k per annum. Cleaners who have seen the hours cut in some cases by 50% over the last few years are now on these terms where have lost 13 weeks wages per year.
  
  Not all the council employees have great wages, nor do they have good conditions, and in many cases the lowest earners have took the brunt of most of all the cuts that have been implemented over the last few years. This cut in hours per week and term time also effect the pensions of the lowest paid as well by cutting the final salary, so although this hourly rate increase for some is welcome, it would be good if something was done to preserve thecontracted hours people have worked in some cases for 20+ years. Lets make it fair for everyone.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 6     No 0

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