Issue - meetings

Report No: CAB/JT/19/015

Portfolio Holders: FHDC Cllr Stephen Edwards and SEBC Cllr Ian Houlder

Lead Officer: Wendy Canham

RECOMMENDED TO SEBC AND FHDC COUNCILS: (19 and 20 March 2019)

That the West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement for 2019/2020, as contained in Appendix 1 to Report No: CAB/JT/19/015, be approved.

The Joint Committee considered this report, which presented the West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement 2019/2020.

Section 38/11 of the Localism Act 2011 required local authorities to produce a Pay Policy Statement annually.  Councillor Stephen Edwards, FHDC’s Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Joint Committee.  He stated that a Joint Pay Policy Statement for 2019/2020, attached as Appendix 1 to the report had been produced, which reflected a shared workforce and the single Pay and Reward Strategy in place for the two West Suffolk Councils.  It also incorporated the outcomes of the 2013 collective agreement which established a modern reward framework for the integrated workforce.

The Pay Policy Statement included:

(a)     the level and elements of remuneration for Chief Officers (senior staff);

(b)     the remuneration of the lowest paid employees;

(c)     the relationship between the remuneration of the highest and lowest paid employees; and

(d)     other specific aspects of Chief Officer remuneration, fees and charges and other discretionary payments.

In addition, Section 7 of the Pay Policy Statement provided an analysis of the gender pay gap for the West Suffolk Councils. Members noted that for the period April 2017 to March 2018, the Councils’ combined mean gender pay gap was -0.5%, showing that the average hourly rate of females was 0.5% more than the average hourly rate of males and the median gap.  The median gender pay gap was zero, meaning there was no difference between males and females.

Members also noted that the lowest paid contractual employee was paid at spinal column point 9 (£8.68 per hour).  Casual staff, aged 25 of over, were paid at the national living wage of £7.83 per hour. Those aged under 25 were paid the national minimum wage of £7.38 per hour.  All employees, under National Joint Council terms and conditions, also received the national cost of living award.

RECOMMENDED TO SEBC AND FHDC COUNCILS:

(19 and 20 March 2019)

That the West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement for 2019/2020, as contained in Appendix 1 to Report No: CAB/JT/19/015, be approved.

(Councillors Sarah Broughton and Peter Stevens left the meeting at the conclusion of this item.)