"Staffing and wage reductions cannot be justified..."
Last Friday, Salford City Council was rightly lauded for handing care workers in Salford a pay rise to £8.30 an hour, after receipt of a Government grant to pay the costs. Tomorrow, however, the Council is meeting to approve pay cuts of up to £6,521 a year for staff who work in Regulatory Services.
It's part of a move to cut £461,000 from the service, which protects Salford people from everything from slum landlords, to rogue traders, to dangerous products, and is related to the Council's Transformation Programme which aims to digitalise everything.
As such, the Council is proposing to 'restructure' Regulatory Services and Urban
Renewal; and what it calls its 'business analyst' has come up with a complicated plan that will see staffing levels reduced by the equivalent of 14.09 full time posts.
In addition to this, the Council report to be discussed by councillors at tomorrow's Workforce Panel, states that "the proposed structure will result in changes to the salaries of a number of officers who would potentially remain in employment at grades lower than their present roles...
"In broad terms" it adds "this could mean up to five officers seeing a potential reduction in salary of up to £6,521 pa, and one officer a potential reduction of
£4,327 pa."
While six staff will lose a huge chunk of wages, the report explains that "19 staff would benefit from salary increases of approximately £2,438 pa average as a result of the outcomes of Job Evaluation of the proposed Level 1 Role Profile."
The proposal is unacceptable to staff union Salford City UNISON which has called a lobby of the Workforce Panel tomorrow, Tuesday 10th October, at 11am outside the Civic Centre in Swinton.
"Regulatory Services encompasses a wide range of services that collectively protect the people of Salford from slum landlords, rogue traders and dangerous products" says Steve North, Branch Secretary, Salford City UNISON "All of us should be concerned when any proposals are put forward to weaken them.
"Since the start of the year we have engaged in ongoing dialogue with senior officers and elected members over the report that is tabled for agreement tomorrow" he adds "To be fair to them, they have continually made time to meet with us and have made a number of changes to their original proposals as a result.
"However, not enough has been done to tackle the harshest aspects of their plans and we remain of the view that the staffing and wage reductions cannot be justified" he explains "We are asking the Council to think again..."
Main graphic is taken from illustration by More Than Minutes which is supposed to make the Transformation Programme easy to understand...
Update: 10th October: Salford Council Approves Wage Cuts and Job Cuts - click here
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