Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence are noted above.

Members of the Employment Panel are asked to consider whether they

have any interests in any of the items on the agenda and if so, to formally

declare that interest.

There were no declarations of interest received at the meeting.

The Pay Policy Statement 2022/23 and covering report are attached.

Sam McVaigh highlighted that the Pay Policy Statement is to be agreed at Full Council as a requirement of the Localism Act. The Pay Policy Statement 2022-23 has included details around the real living wage, scale points 1-5 have had a non-consolidated supplement to reflect the real living wage values. There has recently been a national agreement around the 2021-22 NJC pay award which will be implemented in salaries in March 2022. The pay award for 2022-23 has not yet been agreed, there will be an element of back dating the pay and adjusting where necessary. The position on the gender pay gap has been provided 12 months in arears as per the legal requirement. In the next Pay Policy Statement, the position is anticipated to be further improved given the Real Living Wage application and there will be further information included around ethnicity and disability pay gaps. This year, as a part of the transformation strategy, senior salaries will be reviewed, with a target of £200,000 savings to be made from chief officer roles, members will have the opportunity to agree the approach.

Members were in support of the Council’s commitment to the gender pay gap.

In a response to a member’s question around the joint CCG and Council appointments, Sam McVaigh explained that there are six joint chief officer appointments in total. The CCG does not recharge the Council for the Joint Executive for Finance who does approximately 80% of Council business and 20% of CCG business. The Council does not re-charge the CCG for the Chief Executive’s joint appointment, only a recharge on the VAT. In July the new arrangements for health and social care integration will go-live through the Greater Manchester Integrated Care System. Budget will be allocated to Bury for a place-based leadership structure. Details will emerge in the coming months and it is envisaged that this will enable 50-50 for joint roles, including the Chief Executive and the Executive Director of Finance. 

In a response to a member’s question around the national pay award increase for the financial year of 2022-2023, Sam McVaigh explained that the Council has allowed for a 2% increase in the budget, which is slightly higher than the award for 2021-2022 which was 1.75% for the majority of staff. Nationally, conversations are taking place around the local government pay spine. The pay award for 2021-2022 was only agreed this week, which will be paid to staff in March 2022 and will include 11 months of backpay.  Lynne Ridsdale explained that anything more than a 2% increase would be a significant pressure on the Council budget, although it was recognised that there is a need to have a workforce that can afford to live.

It was agreed:

1. Commend the proposed Pay Policy Statement for 2022/2023 for approval by full Council.

2. Agree the Council’s proposed pay structure for 2022/23 as set out within the statement and inclusive of revised non-consolidated pay supplements to retain compliance with the Real Living Wage rate of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

There was no urgent business.