The Soulbury Committee Met on 19 July 2010 to Open Negotiations on the September 2010

NUT SOULBURY

NEWS UPDATE

JULY 2010

SOULBURY PAY 2010

The Soulbury Committee met on 19 July 2010 to open negotiations on the September 2010 Officers’ Side pay claim. The national employers said they were “not able” to make any offer on pay.

The Officers’ Side pay claim for 1 September 2010 sought a significant pay increase for all Soulbury officers from 1 September 2010.The claim also raised concerns on a number of conditions of service matters including core staffing levels in Soulbury services, term time restrictions on annual leave, time off in lieu (TOIL) and an independent review of the car user allowance system.

In response the local authority employers highlighted the difficult financial circumstances facing councils. They pointed out that central government funding for authorities had been cut.Additional costs incurred by authorities in the recession had been compounded by a government statement that council tax was to be frozen. Any financial reserves held by authorities were modest and set aside for emergencies not pay rises. Under those circumstances, employers said that it would be difficult for them to argue that Soulbury officers were a special caseto other local government groups of workers.The employers were not, therefore, able to offer any increase in pay for Soulbury officers this year. The employers made it clear that they would not review their position on Soulbury pay.

That had also been the position adopted by the employers in other local government negotiating groups including the local government services NJC,the JNC for Youth and Community Workers, the JNCs for Chief Officers and Executives, the JNC for Craft workers and the NJC for local authority Fire and Rescue Services.None of those groups received any offer on pay from the local employers for 2010.

The four associations represented on the Officers’ Side – NUT, Aspect, AEP and NAYCEO – all expressed their disappointment at the absence of a pay offer. It was pointed out to the employers that as inflation was currently rising by more than five per cent, a pay freeze would mean, in effect, a pay cut. The employers were also reminded that some Soulbury officers had not received a pay increase in 2009. The lack of an offer in 2010 together with the Government’s two-year pay freeze for public sector workers for 2011-12 and 2012-13 would mean that many Soulbury officers would not receive any pay rise for four years.

Despite their refusal to make an offer on pay, the employers were, however, persuaded to discuss furtherthe Officers’ Side concerns in respect of TOIL, term time restrictions on annual leave and the EP registration fee.Those discussions will take place in the Autumn Term.

The NUT will be consulting its Soulbury members at the start of the Autumn Term.

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