Cost remains stumbling block to implementation of single status deal

PUBLIC SECTOR

Cost is the main barrier to more rapid implementation of single status pay and conditions in local government, according to a survey by Incomes Data Services.

The IDS survey found that only a small number of councils have introduced harmonised grading structures -- nearly seven years after the national single status deal was struck. But "some additional progress" has been made. IDS reckons that an additional 12 councils have completed the process of introducing local job-evaluated structures since last year's survey, taking the total to 32. "This is less than one in ten of the 410 authorities in England and Wales," says IDS.

Other key findings

Three-quarters of the 60 survey participants have passed the stage of choosing a job evaluation scheme and over half of these have opted for the NJC scheme.
Almost half of the councils IDS contacted had decided what a new local pay and grading structure would look like. The most popular type appears to be based on narrow bands, followed by broad bands.
A small group of respondents who, while having conducted a pay/grading review, have not yet harmonised hours.

Single status in local government

The 1997 single-status agreement in local government was supposed to signal the end to distinctions between manual and white-collar employees. The need to deal with the pressing issue of equal pay for work of equal value was another important motivation for the agreement.

Key elements of the accord are as follows:

Established a single national pay spine for both manual and non-manual employees (upon which council-level grading structures must be based) and basic provisions on issues such as working time and leave.
Provided for a standard 37-hour week for all employees from April 1999.
Employer and union representatives jointly developed a bespoke job evaluation scheme designed to help local managers and employee representatives position a huge range of blue and white-collar jobs within a common grading structure.
Assigned the task of creating harmonised pay and grading structures to councils and unions at local level.

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Title: "Local government pay benchmarking survey", IDS Report 898, February 2004, Incomes Data Services.

Methodology: Overall, 70 councils responded to the fourth annual IDS survey on pay in local government. Of these, 60 responses were from councils in England and Wales, together employing a total of around 387,000 staff 10 responses were from Scottish authorities employing a combined workforce of 91,000 staff.

Availability: Call IDS customer services in London, tel: 020 7250 3434. Incomes Data Services is an independent research organisation providing information and analysis on pay, conditions, pensions, employment law and personnel policy and practice in the UK and rest of Europe. For more information about IDS jump to www.incomesdata.co.uk

Posted 19 February 2004