Today began with a lobby of Salford City Council by care workers seeking the Real Living Wage of £9.30 an hour, in a city that is supposed to pride itself on being a Real Living Wage City.
Inside the chamber, Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, announced that they would get a pay rise to £9 an hour from October, as the Council didn't have the £4million it would cost to implement the full rise. Although he didn't specify which care workers would be eligible.*
The care workers will get the national minimum wage of £8.72 per hour from April this year, with the further Salford rise of 28p per hour to follow... "More needs to be done but we are making progress" said the Mayor.
Meanwhile, a Tory Party amendment to reduce Council Tax rise to 1.99% rather than 3.99% proposed in the budget was defeated; while the Mayor's no cuts budget in this Mayoral election year was passed, with more money for street cleaning, Buile Hill Mansion and a £1.2million saving from bringing Urban Vision back in-house.**
The Mayor said the latter was a "great achievement" – but it was the Labour Council that outsourced it in the first place. A figure of £20.2million cuts needed over the next three years was also mentioned by the Mayor.
The usual political grandstanding from both sides of the chamber drew out the budget meeting for over three hours, and it only came to life when Conservative Councillor, Karen Garrido, spoke lividly about Labour Councillor Mike McCusker and his swearing, offensive comments on social media this week...***
"I'm only here today because it is budget and it is the most important day of the year in the Council" she said "I wouldn't be here; I wouldn't be sat in a room with a person who is here who calls me and like minded people like me 'Tory pigs'...I'm sorry I have to say it...
"We have to stop this name calling, this obsessing" she added "We have to stop it, you have to stop it...Never in my life...I've had arguments with people in this Council...but I have never, ever, ever, stooped to that level, that low, and I will not sit in a room if you don't sort it out. I will not come to any meeting that that person is sat in...."
Later, City Mayor, Paul Dennett, responded..."I agree with you. I think all of us have to be careful about our language...This city Council has a social media policy and off the back of complaints recently made to me, I have reaffirmed the importance of that policy to every single member of the Labour group. And I know the example you specifically talked about and that's also been referred to our Chief Whip...."
After referring to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's outbursts over 'letterboxes', 'water melons' and 'bum boys', the Mayor added that "We will do our utmost, I've already acted on many of the points you've made. I want to reassure you of that..."
Throughout the Council meeting Councillor McCusker sat silent...
*** For a full background on Councillor McCusker's social media comments see previous Salford Star articles – click here and click here
** For more details on the budget see previous Salford Star articles – click here and click here
* For more details on the Care Workers' campaign see previous Salford Star article - click here
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
