Issue - meetings

Assembly received this report relating to the Pay Policy Statement 2014/15 (the Policy), introduced by the Divisional Director of Human Resources and Organisation Development (DDHROD).

In presenting the report, the DDHROD referred Assembly to an amendment to be made to the table set out in paragraph 5.3.3 of the Policy (page 106 of the agenda at Appendix A to the report), in that the Divisional Director of Regeneration's Grade of Post should be CO2, with a salary cost of £89,763.

Assembly noted that it is a requirement of the Localism Act 2011 for a pay policy statement covering chief officer posts and above to be agreed before the commencement of the new financial year and that the following matters must be included:

·  The level and elements of remuneration for each chief officer.

·  The remuneration of its lowest-paid employees (together with its definition of “lowest-paid employees” and its reasons for adopting that definition).

·  The relationship between the remuneration of its chief officers and other officers.

·  Other specific aspects of chief officers’ remuneration: remuneration on recruitment, increases and additions to remuneration, use of performance-related pay and bonuses, termination payments and transparency.

Assembly approved the Pay Policy Statement for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for 2014/15 as set out at Appendix A, subject to the amendment to the table set out in paragraph 5.3.3 of the Policy referred to above, for publication with effect from 1 April 2014 on the Council’s website.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Human Resources presented the draft Pay Policy Statement for the Council for 2014/15, setting out the Council’s key statements of its pay policy as required under the Localism Act 2011.

As well as covering areas such as the level and elements of remuneration for each chief officer, the policy also examined the relationship between the remuneration of chief officers and the lowest paid employees within the Council.  The Cabinet Member referred to the decision taken last year to set a minimum pay rate equal to £9.03 per hour for all Council employees (excluding those on apprenticeship schemes) and agency staff working on Council assignments, which meant that the Council continued to have the highest minimum wage across London.  Furthermore, the Council paid the inner-London weighting allowance to its teachers.

The Chief Executive advised that staff surveys continued to indicate that the Council was a ‘good’ employer.

Cabinet resolved to recommend the Assembly to approve the Pay Policy Statement for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for 2014/15 as set out at Appendix A to the report, for publication on the Council’s website with effect from 1 April 2014.