Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Core Services presented the Council’s draft Pay Policy Statement for 2019/20 in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011. The Cabinet had considered this report and endorsed it at the meeting on 18 February 2019.

The Statement included details of the pay ratios showing the Chief Executive’s salary against the median salary figure for all employees and against the lowest paid employees, as well as comparative data compiled from a number of other London Boroughs.  The Cabinet Member commented that Barking and Dagenham’s favourable position in comparison to the benchmark was reflective of the prudent stance taken by the Council on senior officers’ pay levels.

In line with the Council’s long-standing commitment to pay its employees no less than the London Living Wage rate, the Cabinet Member referred to the proposed increase to the minimum rate of pay from £10.20 to £10.55 per hour with effect from 5 November 2018.  The increase would also apply to a range of apprenticeship posts across the Council and Members were pleased to hear that the pay policy was encouraging apprentices to want to build a career at Barking and Dagenham.

Members welcomed the report and asked that the Council support and celebrate its pay policy They also requested that the Council continue to lobby the Local Government Association, requesting that Members should be readmitted to the Local Government Pension Scheme which they are not permitted to join.

The Assembly resolved to:

Approve the Pay Policy Statement for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for 2019/20 as set out at Appendix A to the report, for publication on the Council’s website with effect from April 2019.

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Core Services presented the Council’s draft Pay Policy Statement for 2019/20 in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011.

The Statement included details of the pay ratios showing the Chief Executive’s salary against the median salary figure for all employees and against the lowest paid employees, as well as comparative data compiled from a number of other London Boroughs.  The Cabinet Member commented that Barking and Dagenham’s favourable position in comparison to the benchmark was reflective of the prudent stance taken by the Council on senior officers’ pay levels when recruiting a new Chief Executive in late 2014.

In line with the Council’s long-standing commitment to pay its employees no less than the London Living Wage rate, the Cabinet Member referred to the proposed increase to the minimum rate of pay from £10.20 to £10.55 per hour with effect from 5 November 2018.  The increase would also apply to a range of apprenticeship posts across the Council and Members were pleased to hear that the pay policy was encouraging apprentices to want to build a career at Barking and Dagenham.

The Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree the implementation of the London Living Wage increase from £10.20 to £10.55 per hour with effect from 5 November 2018 for employees and apprentices operating in service areas covered by ‘Green Book’ terms and conditions; and

(ii)  Recommend the Assembly to approve the Pay Policy Statement for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for 2019/20 as set out at Appendix A to the report, for publication on the Council’s website with effect from April 2019.