Today’s Manchester Evening News has details of Salford’s Pay & Grading Review. All Councils have been required to do this following the equal pay rulings. Under the proposals, around 10% of the workforce are likely to suffer a cut in pay with the remainder either staying the same or benefiting from the changes. Unlike the Labour opposition in neighbouring Bury, I’m not going to make political capital out of this – every authority is going through the same process and in every authority there will be winners and losers. I hope the forthcoming consultation with members of staff and the Unions produces an amicable solution.
That’s not to say, however, that today’s news isn’t shocking, because along with the Pay & Grading Review comes the news that the Council is wrestling with a £15m budget deficit and all 11300 staff have been offered the chance to take voluntary redundancy in order to ease the deficit.
If the Labour Council leadership had listened to the advice given to them by the Conservative opposition over the last few years, we would not be in this situation. We have told them that the staffing levels are too high and we have been ignored. We have told them to cut down on waste and they have continued to spend money they do not have. We have told them to commission a review from outside and they only did it when the budget problems became so grave that they had little choice – and even then they are failing to implement the recommendations.
What a shambles.
Well this is the icing on the cake and no is not PINK!!!
A budget deficit of £15 million, voluntary redundancies and yet we spend more on half baked ideas.
I wonder if Mr.Merry has been subject to a pay and grading review if not why not
I cant wait to hear the outcome of the spat tomorrow no doubt all the nodding dogs will vote with these foolish propositions.
I hope they sleep well in their beds at night thinking of their actions.
2010 cant come quick enough and then we will see who’s smiling