Talks stalled, but council workers get interim pay rise

WITH national pay negotiations bogged down, Cambridgeshire County Council has decided to give more than 10,000 clerical and manual employees an immediate pay rise of 2.45 per cent for the time being.

County council chief executive Mark Lloyd said: "The county council is the largest employer in Cambridgeshire, and we recognise that the current economic climate is creating hardships and pressures upon our employees. We have decided to implement this interim pay award immediately to help ease the financial pressures on our staff and their families."

The county council is part of the national pay negotiating arrangement, which has so far failed to reach an agreed national pay award for local authority staff.

"The prolonged and ongoing pay negotiation delays do not meet what we consider to be the county council's responsibilities as a good employer. So we have taken the decision to make this interim pay award in the best interests of our workforce," Mr Lloyd added.

A spokesman said the move had the unanimous support of the council's political leaders and relevant local trade unions.

The increased salary will be paid to workers next month. The national pay rates should have been agreed in April 2008, and Cambridgeshire staff will receive the back-dated element of their pay rise in December.

Director of people and policy Stephen Moir added: "The people who work for the council are vital to the delivery of essential public services, and we recognise that, as their employer, we have a responsibility to ensure that our staff are paid fairly and in an affordable manner that is equally fair to our Council Tax payers.

"Our decision to implement an interim pay award now recognises the pressures our staff, like everybody, are currently facing."

The pay award applies to non-management staff working for the county council.