A number of members have been contacting us about issues related to cost of living that have grown up over the summer.
The high cost of fuel has been the most common problem but there have a been a number of sore points some of which date back to the original agreement in 2011.
In addition the employer have been grumbling that recruitment is becoming an issue and retention isn’t great either
That led us to think what could be done about these problems.
Pay is negotiated nationally and the current offer does not address the issue of an eroded pay packet over the last 12 years so we needed to think of other ways to make ourselves an employer of choice.
The list below is a synthesis of ideas various members have put to us at various times
- Return the definition of the standard working week to Monday to Friday with Saturday once again attracting a premium
- To pay time and a half on overtime and non standard working hours up to spinal point 22
- To pay double time and time back in lieu for public holidays
- To offer 2 years of pay protection for staff suffering detriment in a restructure
- To pay one professional subscription to bodies relevant to the post you hold
- To pay green book rate mileage at the 1 litre plus engine size rate (currently 52.2p)
- To pay green book mileage rates on motorcycles
- To allow staff using a bus pass bought to undertake work duties to use them for other journeys where there is no additional cost to the council
- To implement the additional days holiday prior the the national introduction next year
- To allow paid time off to attend vaccination appointments
- To ordinarily allow paid time off for appointments relating to disabilities
- To pay fire wardens in a similar manner to firs aiders
We hope the employer will see that these proposals are mutually beneficial and the benefits will outweigh the costs
We understand that rising utilities costs in particular have put pressure on the council’s budget and as per the pay deal extend our hand in partnership to lobby for a budget to meet these expenses and for councils to be included in price cap arrangements or better still for Government to do something about profiteering energy firms.
