Patchy progress on single status in local government

JOB EVALUATION

Patchy progress on single status in local government

Implementation of the 1997 harmonisation agreement in local government is still proving extremely protracted, according to new research by IRS.

In fact IRS found that while 77% of its sample of local authorities had completed the section of the agreement dealing with harmonisation of working hours for manual and non-manual employees, some councils are now as much as four years past the initial deadline.

Pay and grading review

The IRS research is based on a survey of 53 local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Among the councils responding to the survey, only a fifth had completed the pay and grading review, with some councils that begun the process as far back as 1998 still to complete it and others yet to start the exercise.

Of the 36 respondents who had completed, or were in the process of completing, the review, 35 had carried out a job evaluation exercise to help position all jobs on the common grading structure. But less than half -- 43% -- had completed the evaluation.

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 employee 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.

Stumbling blocks

When IRS quizzed the councils about their slow progress, the main reasons reported were these:

• Funding -- a lack of financial resources to do what is necessary is the main obstacle to implementing the agreement.

• Problems with job evaluation -- some employers see the national joint council agreement as too complex, requiring too many resources and too much administration.

• Red-circling -- the cost of protecting downgraded staff.

A final word

Want to know more?

Title: "Councils count the cost of fairer terms and conditions", IRS Employment Review 784/Employment Trends, 19 September 2003.

Availability: Contact IRS customer services, tel: 020 8662 2000. For more information about IRS Employment Review visit www.irsemploymentreview.com

Posted 1 October 2003