Issue - meetings

The Employment and Staffing Committee

RECOMMENDED THAT COUNCIL

Approve thePay Policy Statement for 2019.

Council AGREED to approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2019.

Councillor Henry Batchelor, the Chairman of the Employment and Staffing Committee, proposed the recommendations of the Committee at its meeting held on 17 January 2019.

Councillor John Williams seconded the motion.

Councillor Gavin Clayton was pleased to note that the current ratio between the highest and lowest pay points was 1:9.1, remarking that the average ratio in local authorities was 1:15.  However a social attitudes survey had suggested that 1:6 should be the preferred ratio and thus the Council still had work to do on this.

Councillor Heather Williams welcomed the indication in the report that the median pay gap was -13.18% in favour of females.

Councillor Sue Ellington referred to criticism in previous years that the Council had not sought to achieve accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation.  Councillor John Williams responded that it was not correct to say that accreditation had been sought, rather an argument had been put forward for payment of the true living wage to staff.  In that context, he was pleased to report that, taking account of the pay award for 2018/19 and the proposed pay award from April 2019, the Council would now be paying staff the living wage.

Council by affirmation

RESOLVED:

That the Pay Policy Statement for 2019 be approved.