Issue - meetings

[To recommend that Full Council approves a Senior Pay Policy Statement for 2021-2022]

That Council be recommended to:

1.      Approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2021 - 2022.

2.      Approve the publication of the Pay Policy Statement in line with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011.

3.      Note that the national pay award for National Joint Council (NJC) and Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Chief Officers and Chief Executives has not yet been agreed.

The intention to make a key decision on the report ‘Pay Policy Statement 2020-2021’ at the meeting was not publicised in advance as required by the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.  The decision was urgent and could not be reasonably delayed for the following reasons:

·       Section 39 of the Localism Act requires the Pay Policy Statement to be prepared and approved by the end of 31 March immediately preceding the financial year to which it relates.

·      The Pay Policy has been reviewed and is required to be submitted to Cabinet and Council for consideration. In order to meet the requirements of the Act the authority must publish the approved Pay Policy Statement.

In light of the above, consent had been obtained for the key decision to be made at the meeting under the General Exception provisions

Councillor Paula Brookfield presented the Council’s Pay Policy Statement for recommendation to Full Council for approval and publication. She highlighted from the statement that as a result of efforts in recent years, the Council had one of the lowest pay gap ratios in the West Midlands region in terms of its chief officers and employees who are not chief officers. Councillor Paula Brookfield also reported that the Pay Policy was specifically aimed at attracting and retaining a diverse and talented workforce.  The flexibility, adaptiveness and innovation shown during the Covid-19 pandemic while still driving forward with an ambitious programme for the future was a testament to all of the Council’s employees.

Resolved:

That Council be recommended to:

1.      Approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2021 - 2022.

2.      Approve the publication of the Pay Policy Statement in line with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011.

3.      Note that the national pay award for National Joint Council (NJC) and Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Chief Officers and Chief Executives has not yet been agreed.