Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive enclosed.

(a)       That the proposed Single Status Collective Agreement based on and including Pay and Grading Model 31, and the revised Part 3 Terms and Conditions of Employment be adopted;

(b)       That a combined effective and implementation date for the Agreement of 1 April 2014 be set;

(c)        That two years of full Pay Protection to compensate all employees affected by any loss in base pay through job evaluation be offered, and further and extended Pay Protection of 50% compensation for any loss in base pay for a third year and 25% compensation for a fourth year for any affected employees losing 10% or more in base pay be offered (excluding Nursery Nurses – see (d) below);

(d)       That two years of Pay Protection be offered to Nursery Nurses calculated on net loss having allowed for any increase in base pay for contracted term time working hours;

(e)       That an Implementation Payment (known as ‘Back Pay’) be offered to all employees who gain through job evaluation equivalent to 12 months pay at the new pay rate;

(f)         That the settlement of issues and unissued Equal Pay claims be approved in accordance with the strategy set out in the report;

(g)       That the use of the Equal Pay/Single Status Reserve as set out in the report be approved and the option to capitalise a proportion of the costs of settling Equal Pay be retained;

(h)        That the investment levels in the new Agreement as set out in the report be approved and the inclusion of this investment in the Medium Term Financial Plan be endorsed;

(i)         That the non-inclusion of all employees at the Clwyd Theatr Cymru workgroups from the Single Status Agreement be agreed on the grounds set out in the report, pending fuller advice and review, noting that a resolution on removing the risk of any Equal Pay claim liability will need to follow;

(j)         That the Equalities Impact Assessment and its conclusions be noted as an underpinning assessment to the Single Status Agreement; and

(k)        That the draft employment policies for Appeals against Job Evaluation Outcomes and Maintenance be adopted and delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive and Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development to add to and amend the detail of the policies in consultation with the Trade Unions and the portfolio Cabinet Members.

The Chief Executive welcomed Members and Trade Union representatives to the meeting.

A presentation would be delivered by the Chief Executive, Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Head of Legal and Democratic Services, Head of Finance and the Director of Community Services on the proposed Single Status Agreeement.  Members were invited to ask any questions at the end of each section as well as at the end of the presentation.

Following all Member questions, the Trade Unions representative, Sarah Taylor, was invited to present the joint Trade Unions statement.

In conclusion, the Chief Executive asked Members to evaluate the recommended agreement against two tests (1) was Council assured that they had done everything possible to meet the Nine Point Plan to be confident with the Agreement and (2) was this the best Agreement the Council could strike in balancing acceptability and affordability.

The Trade Union representatives left the meeting prior to the decision making.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the proposed Single Status Collective Agreement based on and including Pay and Grading Model 31, and the revised Part 3 Terms and Conditions of Employment be adopted;

(b)       That a combined effective and implementation date for the Agreement of 1 April 2014 be set;

(c)        That two years of full Pay Protection to compensate all employees affected by any loss in base pay through job evaluation be offered, and further and extended Pay Protection of 50% compensation for any loss in base pay for a third year and 25% compensation for a fourth year for any affected employees losing 10% or more in base pay be offered (excluding Nursery Nurses – see (d) below);

(d)       That two years of Pay Protection be offered to Nursery Nurses calculated on net loss having allowed for any increase in base pay for contracted term time working hours;

(e)       That an Implementation Payment (known as ‘Back Pay’) be offered to all employees who gain through job evaluation equivalent to 12 months pay at the new pay rate;

(f)         That the settlement of issues and unissued Equal Pay claims be approved in accordance with the strategy set out in the report;

(g)       That the use of the Equal Pay/Single Status Reserve as set out in the report be approved and the option to capitalise a proportion of the costs of settling Equal Pay be retained;

(h)        That the investment levels in the new Agreement as set out in the report be approved and the inclusion of this investment in the Medium Term Financial Plan be endorsed;

(i)         That the non-inclusion of all employees at the Clwyd Theatr Cymru workgroups from the Single Status Agreement be agreed on the grounds set out in the report, pending fuller advice and review, noting that a resolution on removing the risk of any Equal Pay claim liability will need to follow;

(j)         That the Equalities Impact Assessment and its conclusions be noted as an underpinning assessment to the Single Status Agreement; and

(k)        That the draft employment policies for Appeals against Job Evaluation Outcomes and Maintenance be adopted and delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive and Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development to add to and amend the detail of the policies in consultation with the Trade Unions and the portfolio Cabinet Members.