Agenda item

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillor Mace and Councillor Thomas)

Report of the Chief Executive.

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Mace and Thomas)

(It was noted that Councillor Langhorn had previously declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the following item in view of his wife’s employment with Lancaster City Council. He left the meeting prior to consideration of the item).

The Chief Executive called for nominations to chair the meeting for the item. Councillor Archer nominated Councillor Thomas and Councillor Ashworth seconded the nomination. There were no further nominations and Councillor Thomas took the chair.

The Chief Executive submitted a report to enable the Cabinet to consider the updated financial information in respect of the preferred pay and grading structure and to consider recommending to Council to approve the financial implications of the proposed fair pay package.

Councillor Farrow tabled and presented a detailed summary of the Joint Consultative Committee’s (JCC) involvement in this issue to assist Cabinet Members. The JCC is a Committee made up of the seven elected members of the Personnel Committee and seven Trade Union representatives.

The officer options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report of the Chief Executive as follows:-

Option 1

To recommend the Fair Pay package in total to Council including the preferred Pay and Grading structure.

Option 2

Whilst Officers would not recommend removing any elements of the Fair Pay package there are one or two elements that are not integral to the Pay and Grading Structure such as the proposals around Annual Leave (see paragraph 11 of Appendix One of the report) and those in respect of Pay Protection (see paragraph 4 of Appendix One of the report).

Option 1 is the preferred option.

It was moved by Councillor Mace and seconded by Councillor Thomas:-

“That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.”

By way of addendum, which was accepted as a friendly addendum by the mover and seconder of the original proposition, it was moved by Councillor Barry and seconded by Councillor Blamire:-

“and that officers consider reviewing and amending the structure within the next two years.”

Members then voted:-

Resolved:

(8 Members (Councillors Archer, Ashworth, Barry, Blamire, Bryning, Fletcher, Mace and Thomas) voted in favour and 1 Member (Councillor Kerr) voted against)

(1)        That the financial implications of implementing the proposed Fair Package, incorporating the Pay and Grading structure 9.5.4.5 be recommended to Council and that officers consider reviewing and amending the structure within the next two years.

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Executive

Reasons for making the decision:

The decision reflects previous considerations by the Personnel Committee, Cabinet and Council and is in line with the agreed process and revised timetable for implementing Fair Pay. The preferred grading structure is still considered to be the best structure to assimilate employees following the Fair Pay review. However, the financial implications in the medium to longer term of this structure are unsustainable. Therefore it will be necessary to review and amend the grading structure within two years of implementation.

(Councillor Langhorn returned to the meeting and took the Chair.)