By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Trade union Unison has warned that freezing the pay of more than 100 council workers at Bath and North East Somerset Council has had a “dire impact” on some people’s mental health.
A new pay structure at Bath and North East Somerset Council lowers the pay for 106 roles at the council. People in roles facing pay cuts will have their pay frozen for three years, after the national pay award is applied, under the council’s pay protection policy. The pay structure will also mean a pay rise for 62% of the council’s 3,500 staff.
It is part of the council’s “Being Our Best” programme, which is often shortened to “BOB.” A spokesperson for the B&NES branch of Unison said: “Whilst we accept that some staff will see a pay increase, we cannot be expected to turn our backs on the members who are worse off because of BOB.”
They added: “Some members have shared the dire impact this is having on their mental health, how they feel undervalued and ignored, at a time when we have been told we are to celebrate the council’s values of bold, empowered, supportive and transparent.” The new pay policy was unanimously approved by the council’s employment committee on May 14 — during the council’s “values week” when council workers have to do training on the council’s values.
A spokesperson for Bath and North East Somerset Council said: “We are very alert to the impact that this process is having on the health and wellbeing of all our staff and are ensuring that all of our staff are able to access the information and support that they need.”
The new pay structure will come into effect from June 1. People in roles for which the pay is being cut will have their pay frozen for three years at its current rate under the council’s pay protection policy.
If pay rises over the three years of pay protection mean that the new lower salary increases to more than the level a council worker’s pay was frozen at, they will be paid the higher wage. The council has said: “At the end of that period it is possible no individual will see an overall reduction in pay.” But there is no guarantee that pay will catch up, and three years of frozen pay will still be a real terms pay cut, meaning it will gradually be worth less due to inflation.
A further 245 more council workers in the passenger transport and waste and recycling departments could also face pay cuts when the proposals for those departments are implemented separately in the next three months.
Activists from Unison and Unite, which represents workers in the waste and recycling department, protested outside Bath Guildhall on May 22 before a full meeting of Bath and North East Somerset Council. Labour councillors, all three Green councillors, and councillor Gavin Heathcote (Peasedown) of the new Independents for B&NES group also attended the protest. The three political groups had all criticised the proposals before they were approved.
Dave Biddleston, a Labour councillor for Keynsham South, criticised the use of the acronym “BOB” to refer to the programme behind the pay cuts. He said: “I’m talking to residents in Keynsham that are affected by this and they are having to say they are losing money under “BOB.” And the acronym feels demeaning.”
About a third of the council’s IT department will be affected by the pay cut. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the protest Stuart Batson, who works as the council’s IT service delivery manager, said: “Our council is now devaluing our role at a time when we are seeing so many councils hacked. If we aren’t up to scratch, up to date, looking out for these problems, you put the whole council at risk.”
He said: “They have disrespected us and disrespected the service we provide.”
Unison believes the pay cut might be intended 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. Councils can face equal pay claims when men are paid more than women for doing jobs which are considered equivalent.
The pay cuts and proposed pay cuts are in departments which are predominantly male. 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.”
In a statement after the employment committee approved the new pay structure, Council chief executive Will Godfrey said : “All our staff are valued and work hard to provide excellent services for residents, businesses and visitors. This agreement marks an important step towards establishing a fair, sustainable, and modern pay structure that is fit for purpose.”
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