Some of the lowest-paid council workers in Bath and North East Somerset could see their pay cut this summer, in what unions have called “a kick in the teeth”.
The Guildhall in Bath
Some people who work in waste and recycling, passenger transport, and IT at Bath & North East Somerset Council are facing a reduction in pay.
The new pay offer, if approved by the council’s employment committee, would come into effect on 1st June, although plans for pay cut in passenger transport and waste and recycling would be addressed separately in the next three months.
Amy Rushton, the branch chair for trade union Unison, which represents workers at the council, said: “This is a kick in the teeth for workers, who are being hit twice here.
“Many of our people facing cuts in real pay are already some of the lowest-paid workers in the council.
“To make things worse, those that live in BANES will see their council tax rise by nearly 5%, making living costs even more unaffordable.”
Some in the union suspect the pay cut might be to help the council avoid an equal pay claim. The council recently brought some adult social care contracts in house, meaning that a low-paid, predominantly female workforce has TUPEd (transferred under protected employment) to the council.
Council social worker and Unison activist Toni Mayo told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “As a woman and a social worker, I don’t want equal pay to be addressed by men being paid less. We want women to be paid more.”
A spokesperson for Bath & North East Somerset Council said: “We value all our employees and have been working with unions and staff over long period of time to look at a wider set of changes to pay and role profiles.
“The council intends to implement these pay proposals by 1st June subject to the decision being agreed at the employment committee.
“More than 800 of the council’s lowest paid staff would see an increase in salaries. The council acknowledges that some staff will be affected and see a reduction in their pay and will continue to discuss these roles with the unions and those staff who are affected.
“It has also listened to the unions on pay protection and has agreed a period of three years to protect affected staff.”
Unison said that members rejected the pay offer in its consultative ballot, and Unite and GMB, which both also represent council workers, had yet to report their consultative ballots to the council.
Unison also wants any decision on approving the pay offer to be made by the full council, rather than the employment committee, which is only made up of three councillors.
The employment committee will be meeting to decide whether to implement the pay cut during the council’s “values week”, when council workers have to do training on the council’s values.
John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter
