Issue - meetings

To consider the Annual Pay Policy Statement.

The Board received the Annual Pay Policy Statement.

During the discussion of this item, the following points were made:

·         Under sections 38 to 43 of the Localism Act 2011 the Council was required to prepare, approve by Full Council, and publish on its website a pay policy statement, each financial year.

·         Members were informed that the pay agreement for the year had not yet been reached.

·         With regards to the 5.4:1 ratio, between the highest and lowest paid members of staff, Councillor Ferris questioned whether narrowing the gap was within the Council’s long term plans.  Sarah Swindley indicated that it was not currently.  Nevertheless, the gap had reduced and the public sector was expected to be below 10:1.

·         Councillor Ferris was of the view that a period of unemployment was likely as a result of Covid 19, and questioned what the Council could do.  He felt that the Council needed to be able to attract good quality officers.

·         Councillor Jones asked whether the Council was similar to other neighbouring authorities such as Reading and Bracknell.  Sarah Swindley commented that they were not comparable from a pay performance perspective and that the workforces of the individual councils were all different.  For example, Reading Council employed their waste operatives and Bracknell Council employed their leisure staff, which the Council did not.

RESOLVED:  That the draft Pay Policy Statement for 2020 be approved and recommended to Full Council for approval.