To approve as a correct record the public minutes of General Services Committee meeting held on 13 February 2024.

The public minutes of the General Services Committee held on the 13 February 2024 were approved as a correct record.

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Localism Act 2011 required the Council to publish an Annual Pay Policy Statement, which must be approved in advance of the financial year to which is applies. The 2024/25 statement had been updated to reflect the decision of General Services Committee on 5 December 2023 to end local collective bargaining on pay awards for employees below senior manager level and apply the National Joint Committee (NJC) for Local Government Services cost of living pay increases from 1 April 2024. The new collective agreement reached with Trade Unions to implement this change was attached in appendix 1.

The following points were raised:

·       Noted this had previously been agreed and was the right way forward.

·       Clarified that the report had been agreed by trade unions who had made no objections.

·       Questioned whether the NJC representatives be taken from across section of people.

·       Questioned whether the outcome of the reviewed terms of reference for the board would be brought back to committee.

·       Referred to the wording of the recommendation of the cost-of-living review in that the “same mount” would be increased by the percentage amount rather than monetary amount.   

·       Thanked officers for the bringing the report back following the request of general service committee members.

·       It made sense to revert back to the system that had previously been used as it would also save the council money.

Action:

Mark Keeble to provide details from LGA of the Councillors that currently represent the employer’s side in pay negotiations.

RESOLVED

1.       Approved the Council’s revised Collective Agreement with recognised Trade Unions attached as appendix 1.

2.       Approved the Council’s Annual Pay Policy Statement 2024/25 reflecting the changes outlined in this report, attached as appendix 2 for submission to Full Council on 20 March 2024.

At 7.12pm the meeting went into exempt session.

At 7.20pm, the meeting reconvened back into public session.