Glasgow reaches 'equal pay' deal

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6049952.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Glasgow City Council has agreed a pay deal for its workforce which it claims will resolve the issue of equal pay.

The new pay, grading and benefits package for 28,500 members of staff was agreed at a meeting of the council's executive committee on Friday.

Unions had feared a deal in line with equal pay legislation would lead to some workers losing out.

The deal means earnings will fall for 10% of workers. In December it paid out £40m in compensation.

The council claims the new deal means some of its lowest paid workers - many of them female - will receive a substantial salary increase.

'Historic deal'

The new system reforms the previous pay structure, which had 4,500 job descriptions.

Glasgow Council admit this led to varying levels of inequality.

These have now been replaced with 112 role profiles.

In a statement the council said 84% of staff will see a rise in their annual salary, with 58% gaining more than £500 per year.

Steven Purcell, the leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "This has been a massive undertaking, but we owe it to our dedicated workforce, the cleaners and home carers and others who contribute so much, to make sure they are properly paid for the essential services they provide.

This is nothing short of a historic deal and one which will bring real benefits not only to our workforce, but to the people of Glasgow Steven PurcellGlasgow City Council Leader

"This is nothing short of a historic deal and one which will bring real benefits not only to our workforce, but to the people of Glasgow."

The council said staff who are to lose earnings will be given specialist support and training to ensure that they can justify their salaries by 2009.

Councillor Aileen Colleran, who will help implement the plan, said: "There is a firm commitment that no member of staff will lose any regular take-home pay as a result of this process.

"Pay protection measures will be in place for three years.

"We have also made it clear that there will be no wage freeze and no job losses to pay for this deal."

More than 80% of workers will see an increase

The cost of introducing the new system is estimated at £35m - equivalent to 6.4% of the payroll.

In addition, protection arrangements will cost a further £13.7m.

The council say the cost of the deal will be met from its existing budgets.

In January, Scotland's councils told Holyrood they face a compensation bill of up to £560m for implementing an equal pay agreement.

Six years ago, councils sought to face up to the issue of equal pay for women by regarding all council workers and introducing a completely new pay and conditions structure.

However, it has been up to individual councils to implement the national framework in agreement with unions.