7 March 2012

Perhaps a pay rise in 2013 - I can't wait - oh, I have to.

www.politifake.org

Pay frozen for staff – but plans underway for 2013

Tuesday, 06 March 2012 15:36 Schroder, Johnathan

The council can inform staff that, as a result of decisions made on a national basis, pay will be frozen again for the next financial year 2012/13. So it isn't our fault, honest guv.

A pay claim was submitted by the Trade Union Side to the National Joint Council (NJC) on 25 October 2011. The National Employers, which includes the London Borough of Barnet, have considered the claim and following extensive consultation have concluded that they are unable to make an offer for 2012/13. And yet the council managed to increase the pay (consultancy fees by any other name) of a consultant working in Human Resources, of all places, from £350 a day to £475. We are, of course, all in it together; except "Chas" Dowden (if you feel victimised Charles, just email Mr Mustard with suggestions of other consultants who have enjoyed similarly lavish increases and he will blog about them instead of you). It is easy for senior management to side-step this 0% increase. What happens is that when one Assistant Director leaves a new one has a different title and so the pay (or consultancy fees) can be increased without a comparison being possible.

the unacceptable face of a pay freeze

The rationale was that whilst there is genuine sympathy for the position of the lower-paid that the economic situation is such that any pay award could only be met through further job losses and cuts to services. What is happening right now? Job losses. The General Functions Committee have agreed redundancies at just about every meeting Mr Mustard has been to.

All of the National Employers recognise that this will be the third consecutive year that the local government workforce has not received a pay offer and that this is unprecedented in the public sector. The National Employers have therefore invited the Trade Unions to commence immediate discussions on a range of related issues covering pay, terms and conditions with the intention of reaching an agreement for implementation on 1 April 2013. Jam tomorrow (only bread and dripping today). Discussions don't mean that the council will be feeling any more generous in 2013.

As these discussions progress, we will of course update you through First Team and the intranet. Oh - How thoughtfully meaningless to NSCSO, DRS and all other former Barnet employees. Management by email - not a good method.
Yours frugally
Mr Mustard

1 comment:

  1. Strange is it not, that we cannot afford topay ordinary workers more money, and indeed must dispose of many of them, but as Mr Reasonable recently revealed, the borough can still afford to waste £40,000 a year for 'executive coaching' and other luxuries for privileged members of the already over generously rewarded senior management team?

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