Correction to media reports on council pay review

Contrary to recent media reports, Thanet District Council is not proposing to introduce an increase in pay for its senior managers.

The council is in the process of a 90 day consultation, seeking the views of union representatives and council staff, on the principles of introducing a new pay and reward scheme.

The proposals out to consultation do not see any rise in salary to the council’s most senior staff and, if implemented, would mean the majority of staff, over 75%, do not see any reduction in pay.

As part of the consultation, the council will be in detailed discussions with unions to ensure that any impact on staff is managed appropriately and that officers are protected as part of this process.

The purpose of the pay review is to ensure that the council complies with its obligations under the Equalities Act 2010 and to ensure that staff, across all levels, are paid appropriately and fairly. It is also to actively move away from a system where people don’t have opportunities and to implement much fairer pay scales which would give all staff an equal opportunity to develop.

The details of the proposals have been made available to staff ensuring they have the chance to inform the final scheme. Meetings have also been held between the Chief Executive and staff in all council service areas to explain the principles of the scheme and to answer any questions.

The final details of the scheme will not be completed until the consultation concludes and all comments have been taken into consideration.

Deputy Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr Alan Poole, said: “There is a great deal of myth and speculation surrounding this matter – mostly uninformed and inaccurate.

“The Chief Executive has delegated powers to engage with staff and unions, and we have absolute confidence that she will do this in a professional manner. 

“The 90-day consultation process with the unions surrounds proposals that are designed to remove anomalies that exist within the current pay system. We’d very much like to introduce a fairer system that is logical and coherent. 

“Therefore, it’s important to note that the consultation doesn’t propose that pay of the council’s most senior staff should be increased.

“All staff are being treated fairly, as you would expect from an organisation that prides itself as being a good employer.

“As a council, we have finite resources that we use to deliver our services, and sometimes have to make difficult decisions. But employee welfare is of paramount importance, and we always endeavour to involve staff and unions in our pay discussions.”

Notes

Within the consultation document different options were discussed with staff and then discounted, which is where some confusion around pay may have arisen.

Option A identified how the pay scales would look if all posts were matched directly to the market rate. This option would see the salary scales of senior staff rise. As explained within the consultation document, this option was discounted.

Option B is the scheme we are out to consultation with staff on and does not see the salary scales of senior staff increase.