Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

There was no public participation.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no urgent items to consider.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 24 July 2023.

The minutes of the General Purposes Committee held on 24 July 2023 were approved by Councillor K North and seconded by Councillor K Brooks.  Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 July 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

To consider the Staff Pay Award for 2023/4.

Consideration was given to a report of the Chief Executive that recommended a full and final pay award for 2023/4 of 6% following negotiations with the trade unions in response to their pay claim for 2023/4.

A flat percentage increase was recommended which differed from the NJC (National Joint Council) pay offer which remains to be settled.  It was noted that over the last 10 years staff pay awards within the Council had resulted in pay retaining pace with CPIH (Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs)inflation and for those on lower pay points, pay had increased at a higher rate than CPIH inflation over this period.  The pay of local authority employees on national conditions of service had, in the main, fallen behind inflation over the same period.

The following recommendations were proposed by Councillor K North and seconded by Councillor K Brooks and unanimously agreed by the Committee.

Resolved:

1.  That subject to full Council approval of the unbudgeted sum set out in paragraph 7 of the report, a full and final pay award for 2023/4 of 6% be made with effect from 1 April 2023 to all employees except the Chief Executive.

2.  That the pay award for the Chief Executive for 2023/4 is the same as that agreed nationally by ALACE (the Association of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers) for Chief Executives pay for 2023.