FAIR PAY
 
If you can add to the picture, please get in touch.

Contents

England
Scotland

County Durham
Derbyshire
Devon
Dorset
East Yorkshire
Essex
Hampshire
Lancashire
Leeds
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
London
Manchester
North Yorkshire
Northumberland
Nottinghamshire
Staffordshire
Sussex
Tyne and Wear
West Midlands
West Yorkshire

England

March 2006: National local government strike called over changes to retirement and pensions.
July 2008: National local government strike called in opposition to 2.45% pay offer
Mar 2010: National 2-day public sector strike


County Durham

Darlington Borough Council

April 1997: Becomes a unitary authority, separates from Durham County Council.
Sep 2007: Council defends 'motivational' campaign in the face of pay cuts - "For four years, I have struggled through, pay grade by pay grade, and now it has all come unstuck for a mug and a mouse mat. I would rather have the money."
July 2008: 1,600 workers take part in national strike
Jan 2010: Darlington freezes council tax and slashes £4.7M off the budget 77 jobs lost. Changes to terms and conditions proposed.
Feb 2010: Unions plan Darlington Council protest at budget cutbacks. Council slightly scales back cuts in response to public budget consultation.
Jan 2011: Young people and families "miss the chance" to have their say on budget cuts. Consultation at Darlington's Dolphin Centre "met with an indifferent response".
Feb 2011: £57,000 wasted on surplus granite for Darlington's "Pedestrian Heart" scheme, which went £2M over budget. Council sold on the surplus for "only a fraction of the money the authority paid for it."

Durham County Council

April 2009: Becomes a unitary authority, abolishing the 2nd-tier district councils of Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, City of Durham, Easington, Sedgefield, Teesdale and Wear Valley.
Feb 2005: Authority asks for 4.6% tax rise to pay for equal pay claims
Nov 2009: "The North-East's biggest council revealed it expects to have to cut spending by nearly £60M"
Jan 2010: Durham County Council to 'rationalise' offices. Probable sell-off of old 2nd tier council offices.
Feb 2010: Council Tax rise set to 1.9% - lowest increase for a decade.
Durham Council announces 1,600 job losses as part of £115M cutbacks over 4 years. "Unison regional organiser Howard Pink said many high paid staff had received generous pay-outs and it was grossly unfair to cut terms for lower-paid staff leaving under the current cutbacks."

Hartlepool Borough Council

April 1996: Becomes a unitary authority after Cleveland County Council is abolished.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

April 1996: Becomes a unitary authority after Cleveland County Council is abolished.
Nov 2009: Stockton BC "[does] not anticipate budget problems this year, but the following two years [are] much harder to predict"


Derbyshire

Derbyshire County Council

Jan 2010: Derbyshire Council issues 1,600 dismissal notices in pay review - 3,500 workers face pay cut.


Devon

Plymouth City Council

April 1998: Unitary authority formed
Mar 2008: Job evaluation: 20% face wage cuts [Council figures], some losing as much as £8,000.
Feb 2009: 200 council workers to be made redundant in budget cuts, or face pay cuts "There has been one restructuring after another at the council and morale is really low"

Dorset

Dorset County Council

Nov 2013: Local TUC calls for living wage for DCC workers, local referendum called for. Raising the pay of the 500 workers paid less than £7.65 would cost 0.2% of council budget, Dorset Echo reports. Spencer Flower, leader of DCC, claims pay scales are negotiated at a national level, therefore "a local referendum is not an appropriate option."

Poole Borough Council

Jan 2010: Poole refuse collectors face £60 per week pay cut. Possible work-to-rule action to follow. "Morale is at rock bottom".
Jan 2010: Union ballots vote in favour of pay cuts for 12% of Poole Council's workforce.


East Yorkshire

East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Jan 2011: East Riding Council plans for 145 job losses as part of £14M cutbacks. "Mr Parnaby [leader of the council] said continuing service reviews and changes to the way the council operates had helped East Riding Council avoid the global voluntary redundancy invitations being issued by other local authorities."

Essex

Colchester Borough Council

Apr 2010: Executive director of Colchester Council receives £77,000 pay-off as part of restructuring exercise that reduces the number of executive directors from four to three.

Essex County Council

Feb 2010: 275 jobs lost at Essex County Council - 275 line managers to go via voluntary redundancy and retirement as council seeks efficiency savings.
Apr 2010: Essex Council's Chief Exec is the highest paid in the country. Earns more than the PM.
May 2010: Essex County Council cabinet members award themselves a 30% pay rise. Decision made amidst controversy over reports of a leaked document suggesting 85 jobs to be lost and introduction of a two-year pay freeze.

Tendring District Council

Apr 2010: Tendring Council awards £194,000 pay-off to Chief Exec, Deputy Chief Exec and Assistant Chief Exec as part of cost-cutting exercise designed to save £96,161 per year.


Hampshire

Hampshire County Council

Nov 2007: 2,000 face wage cuts
Dec 2009: Council opens new HQ at cost of £40M
Mar 2010: Hampshire County Council cuts IT jobs as part of measures to find £19M in savings.
Jan 2011: Hampshire County Council to axe 1,200 jobs to save £55M - Blames £30.9M reduction in government grant.

Portsmouth City Council

Mar 2010: Portsmouth freezes council tax; budget cutbacks of £11.8M

Southampton City Council

Mar 2010: 120 jobs to go as Southampton City Council aims to save £8M


Hull

Hull City Council

Nov 2006: Tribunal case: Hull faces 1,300 equal pay claims from female workers. Cases so far have cost the council £25M
June 2009: Unite ballot members over changes to terms and conditions - changes include a 50% reduction in early retirement payments.
July 2009: City Council Chief Executive's salary tops £200,000.
Sep 2009: Binmen threaten strike over changes to pay and conditions.
Jan 2010: Hull Council could be facing another £1.8M payout to settle equal pay claims scheduled for May.
Jan 2011: Hull City Council faces £50M budget savings. Up to 1,400 jobs to go.


Lancashire

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Dec 2007: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council - 1,300 (24%) face wage cuts - News coverage

Leeds

Leeds City Council

Jan 2008: Leeds City Council - 2,000 face wage cuts - proposal rejected by GMB
Nov 2009: Leeds binmen return to work after 3 months on strike. "Almost all the pay cuts... have been dropped in return for increased productivity and 'more efficient' collection rounds."
Dec 2009: Leeds City Council claims strike left the council £50,000 better off.


Leicestershire

Leicester City Council

2008: Leicester City Council - job evaluation - losses unknown
Petition
Jan 2010: Leics City Council Tax rises, but 270 jobs face the axe - £19M budget cuts planned from a total budget of £271M. Services to be cut.
Jan 2010: Analysis of the Leicester City Council budget cuts
Jan 2010: How budget cuts differ between Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils
Feb 2010: Job losses and cuts approved by the City Council

Leicestershire County Council

Dec 2009: 2,000 residents respond to Council budget cuts consultation £70M cuts planned.
Jan 2010: Council staff decimated - One in ten Leics County Council posts to be axed.
Jan 2010: Analysis of the Leics County Council budget cuts
Jan 2010: How budget cuts differ between Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils



Lincolnshire

North Lincolnshire Council

Jan 2010: North Lincs Council has only had one equal pay claim filed in the last five years. "We did go through the job evaluation process in 2002. Some people gained and some people lost." [Tony Riley, Unison.]

London

Camden London Borough Council

Feb 2011: 970 jobs to be lost at Camden Council

Lewisham London Borough Council

Dec 2010: Protests at Lewisham Council as cutbacks are introduced.

Waltham Forest London Borough Council

Jan 2008: Unofficial Protests staged at Waltham Forest Council over wage cuts from Single Status.


Manchester

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

Jan 2010: Legal / Tribunal: Female workers urged to reject Council offer in hopes of a larger payout. Council warns that payouts will result in job cuts.

Manchester City Council

Feb 2011: 2,000 jobs lost at Manchester City Council as part of £109M budget cuts 17% of the workforce to be axed.

Salford City Council

Feb 2009: Unison claims victory after council U-turn on worker expenses.


North Yorkshire

City of York Council

April 1996: Becomes unitary authority
Feb 2009: York Council reduces equal pay offer, sparking row and possible tribunal

Middlesbrough Council

June 2009: Legal/Tribunal - 120 men win equal pay tribunal. Ruling brings the men's pay in line with their female colleagues, who received an increase after a successful equal pay tribunal.
Dec 2009: £6M budget cuts for Middlesbrough Council Proposals include: redundancies; reductions in car user allowances and overtime payments; service cuts and increased charges for services.
Mar 2010: Council announces "£9M" budget savings and 2.5% council tax increase. Terms and conditions cut, budget for social care increased. Council hopes job losses "will be achieved through early retirement and voluntary redundancies."
Oct 2014: Between 1,000 and 1,500 jobs said to be at risk at Middlesbrough Council as a result of "£22M" belt-tightening.

North Yorkshire County Council

Jan 2010: N Yorks Council says "perfect financial storm" has led to £4M overspend

Ryedale District Council

Feb 2010: Voluntary redundancies sought at Ryedale Council. "The authority is thought to need annual savings of £300,000."


Northumberland

Northumberland County Council

Feb 2009: Row with district councils over forthcoming unitary status.
April 2009: Becomes a unitary county council, abolishing the 2nd-tier councils of Blyth Valley, Wansbeck, Castle Morpeth, Tynedale, Alnick and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
July 2009: Tribunal case: 2,000 female council workers reach settlement - Cost to council: £35M; Council also faces 'efficiency savings' of £55M over two years.
Nov 2009: "Pay freeze for Northumberland council workers" Council aims to save £1.8M by preventing automatic 'increment' wage increases. "The proposal would save in the region of 90 jobs..." [Council spokesman]
Sep 2010: Northumberland Council pays consultant £1,100 per day to save money.


Nottinghamshire

Ashfield District Council

Jan 2010: Ashfield Council cuts services to plug £2M funding gap Sugababes will probably not be booked for next Ashfield Show.

Bassetlaw District Council

Nov 2009: £770,000 underspend to be carried forward to next financial year. (source: Council minutes)

Broxtowe Borough Council

Sep 2006: Broxtowe decides upon 2-track job evaluation - Hay scheme for the higher paid, Greater London Provincial Council Scheme for the rest.
Jan 2008: Evaluations interviews completed.
Feb 2009: Council criticised for investing £100,000 on a tram line that doesn't yet have approval - Councillors complain that "they were not given the opportunity to consider alternative projects on which to spend the money."
Oct 2009: Job evaluation results announced 9/10/09. 45% gain, 31% no change, 24% lose. Cuts of up to £4,500.
Eastwood Advertiser
Apr 2009: Lib-dem Cllr Adele Brunton [Beeston North] resigns for personal reasons but also cites budget "shambles". She is replaced by Barbara Carr, wife of Steve Carr [existing Cllr for Beeston North].
Dec 2009: Car parking charges to be introduced as part of money-saving exercise. Budget cuts spark political row.
Jan 2010: Job Evaluation appeals deadline.
Feb 2010: Nottingham City Council introduces Workplace Parking Levy Broxtowe ensnared due to Boots' plans to evade tax via relocation of parking spaces to Broxtowe area.


Gedling Borough Council

Dec 2008: Car parking charges introduced. after public consultation offers a choice between car park charging, tax increases or service cuts.
Jan 2009: Total Budget: £16M, Funding Gap: £1.5M (9.3% of budget) (source: NEP)
Dec 2009: Car parking charges scaled back in response to impact on local business.
Dec 2009: Gedling announces "no service cuts or closure of facilities". £1.8M to be saved over 5 years through "tough and very vigorous efficiency programme."
Jan 2010: Gedling Council restore full car parking charges - Traders say charges are driving business away. Council blames internet shopping.


Mansfield District Council

Dec 2008: Council announces 8% increase in visitors to Mansfield; attributes rise to free car parking periods.
Jan 2009: Total Budget: £16M, Funding Gap: £1.8M (11.3% of budget) (source: NEP)
Jan 2010: Council meets to plan budget cuts. Local Citizens' Advice Bureau fears it may suffer reduced funding.

Newark and Sherwood District Council

Jan 2009: Total Budget: £18.2M, Funding Gap: £1.2M (6.6% of budget) (source: NEP)

Nottingham City Council

1998: Unitary authority formed.
Job Evaluation: Nottingham City Council - 41% gain, 42% no change, 18% lose. Individual results not released.
June 2008: Union opposes council wage cuts 1,400 workers face a pay cut
July 2009: City Council overspends budget by £3.4M Recruitment freeze. Council has budget of over £900M.
Dec 2009: GMB urges tram workers to accept a pay freeze after previously being threatened with both a pay freeze and changes to terms and conditions.
Dec 2009: Nottingham City Council makes budget cuts; redundancies likely; increases council tax.
Jan 2010: Nottingham City Council spends over £2M on golden goodbyes
Feb 2010: Nottingham City Council introduces Workplace Parking Levy Incurs wrath of Boots.
Feb 2010: 720 staff at risk of redundancy, 202 people will lose their jobs... or is it 166 jobs? Or maybe 165?
Mar 2010: Controversial budget approved in the midst of tram-stopping protests
Jun 2010: Industrial action "likely" in response to new contracts "Peter Savage, regional officer at Unison, said the workforce had been bullied into signing new contracts and thousands had been left bitter and angry."
Feb 2011: Investigation launched to find out whether NCC "used up to £20,000 of public money to help the Labour Party win the last election." "The District Auditor previously questioned the legality of the council's posters and banners, ahead of the election and said they were 'strikingly similar' to Labour Party publicity."


Nottinghamshire County Council

2007: National Job Evaluation results in 3,000-4,000 workers facing wage cuts
Fair Pay Action Group formed.
Dec 2008: Council rejects London-style elected mayor. Public consultation receives 89 responses, 60% in favour of a mayor.
Jan 2009: Total Budget: £473.2M, Funding Gap: £12.6M (2.7% of budget) (source: NEP)
June 2009: Conservatives win control of the council after 28 years of Labour rule; Labour take a beating at the ballot box, losing 22 seats. Cllr Kay Cutts elected as leader.
Oct 2009: Two years after NJE, reductions in terms and conditions to be put before the Unions.
BBC News
Mansfield Chad
Nov 2009: Job losses of between 400 - 1,400 expected due to budget cuts; £85M savings required over 3 years. £6M set aside for redundancy payments.
Jan 2010: Budget underspend planned to be £1.3M: £700,000 to be added to reserves; £800,000 to be spent next year
Jan 2010: County reserves £1M for "temps, consultants and IT equipment" to "help save £55M".
Jan 2010: Changes to Terms and Conditions softened and service cutbacks reduced after the council finds extra money down the back of the sofa
Feb 2010: Unison stage city centre demonstration against budget cuts.
Feb 2010: Protests outside County Hall as the council meet to agree the new budget.

May 2013: Labour regain control of Nottinghamshire County Council.
Jun 2013: NCC staff to be paid living wage £7.45 minimum wage to be introduced. 2,200 workers affected, costing the council £1.36M per year

Oct 2013: Notts County Council running consultation on "£154M" budget deficit. - closes 17 January 2014.

Rushcliffe Borough Council

Rushcliffe is one of 44 lucky councils who are officially opted-out of the national pay agreement imposed by the Local Government Association.
Jan 2009: Total Budget: £12.4M, Funding Gap: £1.2M (9.6% of budget) (source: NEP)



Staffordshire

Staffordshire Unison

Sussex

Brighton and Hove City Council

Oct 2009: GMB/Binmen vote to strike over wage cuts introduced through job evaluation.

Tyne and Wear

Newcastle City Council

Job Evaluation: 5,000 'winners', 1,400 'losers', cuts of up to £2,500.
Nov 2009: Strike action threatened over wage cuts.
Nov 2009: 510 workers to be made redundant as part of "corporate transformation programme" - Council defends £27M cost of programme.
Dec 2009: Leader of Newcastle City Council has warned council tax rises will be difficult to avoid if ministers squeeze local government funding

North Tyneside Council

June 2009: Conservative mayor Linda Arkley takes over from Labour John Harrison - Conservatives control council for the first time in its 35-year history.
Aug 2009: Between 300-600 jobs to go - 'Value for Money' programme aims to save £104M over four and a half years.
Nov 2009: 'Fire sale' ordered to find £9M in five months. "We are having to crash spending and find these savings because of what we inherited."


South Tyneside Council

Aug 2005: Budget Probe on £11M overspend - "Weak management, high staff turnover and a lack of experience" blamed.
Sep 2005: "Fury over £1/4M Jobs"
Feb 2006: £4.9M budget deficit leads to job losses - 87 redundancies; 132 vacant posts will not be filled. 3.7% council tax rise (lowest for a decade)
July 2008: Council services hit by national strike
Oct 2009: 350 council jobs face the axe "because of a £4Bn national deficit in funding for local authorities" - "We still believe the council should have much greater funding, particularly because of its high costs in adults services and children's services."
Dec 2009: "Three care homes face the axe as part of a major review"

Sunderland City Council

April 2009: Legal/Tribunal - Sunderland City Council fights 12 equal pay cases. "The council has successfully defended a number of equal pay claims..."
Nov 2009: Has not yet started its Single Status project.


West Midlands

Birmingham City Council

2007: Job evaluation: All contracts terminated, 12% face wage cuts
Birmingham Single Status Blog
Dec 2008: Council pay review appears a dangerously botched exercise
Mar 2009: Legal/Tribunal - Birmingham City Council faces 200 equal pay claims
Nov 2009: 4,000 female workers go to tribunal to seek £200M from the council
Dec 2009: Birmingham City Council facing budget cuts of £1.8M
Jan 2010: Council ex-employees miss out on single status payouts - and attempt to sue their union for misleading them.
Jan 2010: Birmingham City Council axes 700 jobs Some compulsory redundancies likely.
Feb 2010: Workers bang pots and pans in protest against budget cuts.
Feb 2011: City Council to axe 7,000 jobs as part of £300M budget savings. 1,500 staff have requested volunatary redundancy.

Wolverhampton City Council

Mar 2009: Legal/Tribunal - Wolverhampton faces 300 equal pay claims Estimated cost £4M. July 2009: City Council 'Pay bonanza': Marked increase in salaries over £50,000.
Sep 2009: Cutbacks at Wolverhampton City Council Council tax freeze; meals on wheels price rise; day centres close.
Oct 2009: 170 Council jobs lost as part of £40M cuts 111 staff have already taken voluntary redundancy.
Dec 2009: Cancelled IT overhaul costs £7M
Jan 2010: Wolverhampton City Council pays £138,000 to equal pay consultants Council wants to try a 'new approach' to evaluation - grouping jobs together.


West Yorkshire

Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Dec 2009: Bradford MDC reaches pay agreement after 10 months of negotiations with union. "Some staff will gain, some will lose"

Wakefield Council

Jan 2010: New pay agreement to cost Wakefield Council £30M. £3.4M spent on redundancy payments in two years.

Scotland

Aug 2008: National strike over public sector pay
Sep 2008: 2nd national strike over public sector pay
Oct 2008: Unison, GMB and Unite stage national protest against 2.5% pay offer from CoSLA. (Scottish equivalent of the LGA)

The City of Edinburgh Council

Jan 2010: Edinburgh City Council imposes new pay deal and changes to terms and conditions. Workers told to sign up or face dismissal.

Glasgow City Council

Nov 2008: Council breaks ranks with CoSLA and awards 3% rise and backpay. "...we are in the middle of a credit crunch. Retailers are screaming out for people to spend money in the shops and we are sitting on £13M of workers' money." [Glasgow City Council source]
Feb 2009: Strike threatened over pay cuts "The council says that of the original 3700 people who were going to be affected by a 'detriment' to their pay, 3642 have either secured a higher paid job, seen the projected loss wiped out by pay increases, or taken early retirement or voluntary redundancy, leaving 58 cases still to be resolved."
Aug 2009: Strike averted by last-minute offer from council
Dec 2009: "Glasgow City Council has spent more than £700,000" on PR, consultants and managers for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.


The Highland Council

Nov 2008: Highland Council facing budget cuts of over £20M Feb 2009: Highland Council staff "upset" by job evaluation Many lower paid women workers have had their pay cut under the evaluation process - Unison.

West Lothian Council

Dec 2009: GMB / Binmen work-to-rule action enters second week - pay proposals would mean "90 workers [would] lose on average £3,200".