Living wage bid to help 60 staff

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NEARLY 60 council workers could receive a pay rise as part of a scheme to ensure every officer is paid more than the living wage.

A total of 34 permanent Redditch Borough Council employees and a further 25 casual members of staff receive under the hourly rate deemed to meet the basic cost of living. The wage is updated annually and currently stands at £7.45 for anywhere outside London, while minimum wage is fixed at £6.19.

It is calculated on research by the Living Wage Foundation based on items members of the public have identified as those needed for a minimum acceptable standard of living, costed at national chain stores.

A spokeswoman for the authority said those on the pay band that fell beneath the standard included roles such as cleaners, leisure attendants and general assistants.

The council is currently in the process of carrying out job evaluations for everyone within that band. These are likely to come in to effect in April or May next year and could ensure no employee of Redditch Borough Council earned less than the living way.

A proposal is also on the table to backdate pay to staff from May 2011, meaning they would be entitled to claim the difference between their wage and the living wage for the past two years.

Council leader Bill Hartnett said: “At the moment we are carrying out job evaluations for all posts within the council as part of the Local Government Single Status Agreement. This includes establishing a new pay model for all posts.

“Until we know the outcome of this, we won’t be in a position to decide whether to make a formal decision about not paying employees less than the living wage.”

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