BRIGHTON & HOVE UNISON STATEMENT ON PROGRESS ON LOW PAY NEGOTIATIONS AT BRIGHTON & HOVE CITY COUNCIL
16 May 2022
Over the last 13 years our branch has witnessed, and fought against, the consequences of austerity, the decimating of grants to local government, and the spiralling cost of living on our members. We are now at the point where it is estimated that over 2 million adults in the UK cannot afford to eat every day and one in three will struggle to meet the cost of living. Public Service workers; while supporting the most vulnerable in our city, and often at great personal risk; have suffered a devastating storm of stagnating and low wages, crippling rents and rising food, energy and childcare costs.
In this hugely challenging context, we welcome the positive engagement we have had with Brighton & Hove City Council on the urgent need to address low pay and financial hardship for employees. Over weeks of negotiations and discussions between unions and the organisation, we are pleased that our collective voices and arguments have led to some significant improvements for workers:
The removal of the two lowest pay scales.
The council’s lowest paid staff to receive an increase of at least £1180 in their annual income.
Pay increases of up to 8% at the lower pay grades
A commitment to undertaking a strategic review of low pay across the council, aligned with an Equalities Impact Assessment to ensure the approach to tackling low pay is fair and equitable.
This is a good starting point, but much more must be done. Recruitment and retention issues to essential services will not be addressed unless the council offers competitive rates of pay across the organisation; and creates the conditions where workers can progress and be awarded for that progression. In all our negotiations with BHCC, Unison is clear that it is a priority of our branch that the approach to low pay is based on fairness, need and robust evidence and that we tackle any related equalities issues. While we continue in these discussions, it is vital that these initial changes are enacted as soon as possible so that the money appears in worker’s pay packets when it is needed most.
We are proud to work with our 4000 members to bring about positive change, protect wellbeing, improve pay and conditions and work towards inclusive and equitable approaches to all aspects of pay and employment. We also welcome continuing to work with the city council on improving pay and conditions and add our voice to theirs in the fight to get central government to properly invest in vital and life-saving public services.