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Friday, 30th July 2010

Pay cut 'disaster' for staff

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Published Date:
12 February 2010
BLACKPOOL Council's pay review has been branded "disastrous" for staff.
The resort's Labour opposition party leader, Ivan Taylor, claims many staff are now desperately looking for new jobs outside the council.

More than 2,000 local authority staff have been sent letters revealing whether their pay would be cut or rise as part of a massive review.

Around 1,700 people, mainly lower paid staff, will see their wages go up, but around 700 will lose cash.

And there has been a furious reaction within the town hall, Coun Taylor claimed.

He said: "It's been a disaster from start to finish. Morale has never been so low. A lot are trying to get out as quick as they can. I feel very, very sorry for people."

The Gazette website, www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk, has been inundated with angry comments from staff.

And some attacked the man at the very top, council chief executive, Steve Weaver.

Mr Weaver earns an average of £138,000 basic salary a year, while David Lund, executive director children's services, earns on average £110,000.

Blackpool MP Joan Humble said the town hall should be careful as staff would not tolerate large rises for the high earning executives.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY SEE FRIDAY'S GAZETTE.

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  • Last Updated: 12 February 2010 8:13 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Blackpool
 
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Remlap,

Blackpool 12/02/2010 08:27:02
To be fair the exec pay is around avarage for the private sector, however that is providing you are running the company right. It is all to to with good leadership.

As for the council, it seems to me they have thrown good money away on leagal battles such at the tram depot, building that stupid ghost train thing. That is near the pleasure beach, that is like putting a corner shop next door to Tescos. That is to name a few money wasting things the council have done.
As for the council staff that have had to take big cuts, I feel for you. I am on a good wage in the private sector but live to my means if my company told mre I had to take a 8k cut I would struggle. Get your selves on strike!
2

Geovanni,

Blackpool 12/02/2010 08:46:30
From anecdotal evidence it's hell of a lot more than 700 who have lost out, I don't know a clerical worker who has not lost out, considering that the bulk of the councils workforce is made up of clerical and admin staff.
3

Dog Lover2,

Blackpool 12/02/2010 09:02:12
Please tell me why Blackpool Council need such a post
as Chief Executive officer the Council should be run
for the people of Blackpool.

It should not be run so a few highly paid individuals
can lord it over a mostly under paid workforce.

There should be full trasparency of the payment of
those running Blackpool Borough Council from their
ivory towers.

What they should remember they are drawing their salary
from Coucil Tax Payments and thus taking money from the
services of Blackpool.
4

Good_Idea,

Blackpool 12/02/2010 09:35:16
I fundamentally disagree with enforced pay cuts, unless RPI/Inflation goes below Zero. That said there are gross inefficiencies in all large companies in the public or private sector and times are such that cut backs have to be applied. Ithink in the current economic client there are going to be many touch choices. Redundancies or pay cuts or a combination of both. Staff have to ask themselves which is the worse of two evils, in the hope that there will be a measurable recovery before too long. At that point those staff can look to apply for other jobs and recover their losses. Many in Blackpool have lost their jobs/had their homes repossesed and worse. Tough times likely to get worse in 2010/11
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The_Knowledge,

12/02/2010 09:42:12
Best of luck to those that are thinking of leaving their posts within the council, I recently placed a job advert in the paper and was inundated with over 200 applicants within 24hrs!!

These weren't your usual types that come looking for jobs either, they were in some cases highly skilled people that had been dealt a bad deal thanks to the recession.

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Geovanni,

Blackpool 12/02/2010 09:56:38
The bottom line is this the Pay review was/is about equal pay it is not and never has been about economics, that is a separate issue. I do wish that some people would stop commenting like it's all to do with the recession.

Another point, it's a little rich for Mr Taylor and the 2 MP's to comment, after all it was their government that brought about all this with a little push from their pay masters in the Unions, it has backfired spectacularly on the Unions as some of there members have benefited in the short term, because they will now be paid so much that it will be uneconomic to use them now. Whilst many women who were not paid that much anyway are losing 1000's. There will be a mass excerdus from the Unions after all this I can tell you.
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BigBlackPudding,

12/02/2010 10:58:26
Could somebody, preferably a Council worker, clarify for me when these pay cuts come into effect?

Is it immediate or some time in the future?
8

BigBlackPudding,

12/02/2010 11:11:14
What or who can change a contract of employment?

Either you or your employer might want to change your employment contract. However, neither you or your employer can change your employment contract without each other's agreement. Changes should normally be made after negotiation and agreement.

Changes to employment contracts could be made by:

* agreement between you and your employer
* collective agreement - this is a negotiation between your employer and a trade union or staff association
* implication - that is through a change in long standing custom and practice (for example if your employer allows all employees a day off each year for New Year's Eve)

If a collective agreement makes a change to employment contracts, the change will still apply to you even if you are not a member of the trade union or staff association.

From the DirectGov website.
9

Philtheone,

South Shore 12/02/2010 11:17:46
Welcome to reality.
10

Ady J,

Blackpool 12/02/2010 11:30:05
Breaking News - Shocked Council Workers dragged into the real world with real wages....
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