Agenda item

A notice of motion was proposed by Councillor Karl Barnsley and seconded by Councillor Mark French that:

This Council Notes

1.     The Living Wage is set by the Living Wage Foundation currently calculated to £10.90 per hour (Outside of London).

2.     The National Living Wage, a separate concept, which is set by the Government, is the top age band of the National Minimum Wage Structure and is currently set at £10.42 per hour.

3.     The Ribble Valley Pay Policy Statement currently sets the pay of its lowest paid workers at National Living Wage rates as opposed to Living Wage Foundation Rates.

4.     Across the country there are 12,500 recognised Living Wage employers; 1250 of which are in the North West, including neighbouring Borough Councils such as Rossendale, South Ribble, Bury and Burnley Boroughs. Several Town Councils are recognised as well as Lancashire. County Council and the office of the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner.

5.     “The basic intuition behind the Living Wage is a simple one: to determine the wage rate necessary to ensure that households earn enough to reach a minimum acceptable living standard as defined by the public.” (Cominetti & Murphy, Resolution Foundation, 2022)

This Council Believes

1.     The Living Wage as set by the Living Wage Foundation is the truest reflection of a wage which is necessary to meet the cost of living.

2.     The Living Wage is the most accurate calculation of wages in balance with the cost of living, enabling food, energy and accommodation security.

3.     Low pay is now becoming an existential crisis for local government: to continue delivering services for the public, local authorities need workers to deliver those services. But with pay continuing to fall in real terms, local authorities are struggling to recruit and retain staff.

4.     The mark of a responsible employer is to pay its staff a wage they can live on.

This Council Resolves

1.     To adopt the Living Wage Policy for the lowest paid members of Council Staff both full time and part time aged 18+

2.     To make appropriate steps to become accredited by the Living Wage Foundation as a Living Wage Employer.

A recorded vote was requested for all proposed motions on the agenda and the appropriate number of Councillors supported this.

The Leader, Councillor Stephen Atkinson requested that Officers refer to the Council’s Standing Orders for clarification on dealing with matters that may fall within the remit of a Committee. The Council’s Head of Legal and Democratic Services explained to Members the terms of standing order 9.5, and in particular, that if the motion fell within the terms of reference of a Committee, it could be referred to that Committee or such other Committee as the Council decides, or it could be dealt with at the meeting it is moved if the Mayor considers it appropriate and convenient to do so.

The Leader, Councillor Stephen Atkinson, proposed an amendment to the motion as follows:

The Councils pay offer for 2023/24 that has been accepted by Union, which is the trade union who represents the lowest paid employees, is significantly above both the National Living Wage and the UK Living Wage. Therefore:

1.     The Council urges all Councillors that may have influence over the GMB Union to encourage them to accept the 9.4% increase to the Councils lowest paid employees as soon as possible so this can be paid to employees in their next wage; and

2.     The Council’s Personnel Committee evaluates the lowest pay grades of the Council to see if they are reasonable, taking into account:

·       The Councils Job Evaluation Scheme and pay differentials between different skills and responsibilities

·       The National Pay Agreement agreed by the Trade Unions; and

·       The Council’s financial position

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Stuart Hirst.

Members debated the amendment. A recorded vote was taken on the amendment.

The amendment was carried.

A recorded vote was taken on this as the substantive motion.

The substantive motion was lost.

The original motion proposed by Councillor Karl Barnsley and seconded by Councillor Mark French then became the substantive motion and a recorded vote was taken.

The motion was carried, it was therefore;

RESOLVED THAT THE COUNCIL:

1.     Adopt the Living Wage Policy for the lowest paid members of Council Staff both full time and part time aged 18+; and

2.     Agree to take appropriate steps to become accredited by the Living Wage Foundation as a Living Wage Employer.