Agenda item

Jon Sutcliffe (Senior Adviser – Workforce Policy and Strategy) introduced the report which set out key workforce policy developments which had taken place since the previous Board meeting in April 2017.

Members noted that the most important update concerned the National Joint Council’s (NJC) ongoing review of the National Pay Spine. There had been a meeting of the NJC the previous day where there had been useful discussion of the issues. Payment of the National Living Wage by 2020 would have a considerable impact on local authority pay structures, and the new pay spine would require a logical set of differentials, as well as flexibility for local authorities. This would inevitably mean that the scale would start higher and end higher, and broad proposals had started to be developed which would set out the cost profile to bring this in across to the sector.

In the discussion which followed Members made a number of comments, including:

·         Estimates on the impact of the National Living Wage to the pay spine varied, and it was important that the LGA did not over or underestimate what this would be.

·         There had been some suggestion that the austerity measures could be relaxed, and the public sector pay cap could be removed, although this was at a very early stage.

·         The LGA should promote the work it did with the NJC and ensure that local authorities were aware that they would have to negotiate their own pay deals if they left membership.

·         There currently appeared to be more willingness to negotiate on pay for firefighters than previously. The NJC for firefighters was a UK-wide body, and the Scottish contingent was keen to negotiate an increase in pay as soon as possible. The Fire Services Management Committee would consider the issue for the LGA.  

Decision

The Resources Board noted the report.