Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Trafford Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford

Contact: Ian Cockill  Governance Officer

Note: UA92 Open Event - A Special Event for Trafford Councillors - Before the Council meeting, Members are invited to a tour of the new UA92 Campus and a presentation by UA92 Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Craig Gaskell. The event is being held 5.30p.m. - 6.30 p.m. at the UA92 Campus, Brian Statham Way, Old Trafford, M16 0PU. 

Media

Items
No. Item

56.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 186 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 27 November 2019 for signature by the Mayor as Chair of the Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 27 November 2019, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

 

57.

Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Members of the Executive, Chairs of Scrutiny Committees and the Head of Paid Service.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Raymond Bowker, MBE

 

The Mayor referred with sadness to the recent death of former Mayor and serving Councillor, Ray Bowker, aged 83, who had been in his 43rd year on the Council having served since Trafford’s inception in 1973 to 1976 and then interrupted from 1980. Ray was known to all as a friend and very loyal Councillor, enthusiastic not only about his Village Ward but the whole of the borough and had been extremely proud to serve as the Borough’s Mayor in 1999/2000. Undeniably, Ray was owed an enormous debt of gratitude for his decades of service to the Council and would be missed immensely. 

 

The Group Leaders all conveyed their condolences and recalled Ray as a great friend, his enormous contribution to Trafford during a long and distinguished local government career and his three great passions, Timperley, Trafford and the welfare of young people. On behalf of all Members, staff, partners and residents of the Borough the Leader of the Council conveyed the thanks and appreciation for all Ray had done and the example he set on how to represent the people of Trafford. Unequivocally, the Group Leaders affirmed that Ray was truly a warm, friendly public spirited person, a legendary Ward Councillor, known locally as Mr. Timperley for whom people only had positive comments and thoughts for.

 

The Council expressed its sincere condolences to Ray’s wife Hazel and family and as a mark of respect, stood in silence to pay tribute to an eminent colleague.

58.

Questions By Members pdf icon PDF 319 KB

This is an opportunity for Members of Council to ask the Mayor, Members of the Executive or the Chairs of any Committee or Sub-Committee a question on notice under Procedure Rule 10.2.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Mayor reported that 11 questions had been received under Procedure Rule 10.2.

 

(a)    Councillor Myers asked the following question for which he had given notice:

 

“In 2019, Trafford Council spent £50.8 million on acquisitions and made loans of £102.6 million as part of its property investment strategy.  How confident is the Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration that the anticipated returns on investments will be achieved?”

 

Councillor Ross, the Executive Member for Finance and Investment confirmed that the matter was within his remit and reported that he had provided the following written response to Cllr Myers prior to the meeting:

 

“Strategic Investments are governed by the Council’s Asset Investment Strategy which has been developed in conjunction with external advisors CBRE. The Strategy seeks to acquire a balanced portfolio of investment assets capable of providing sustainable income streams to support the Medium Term Financial Plan, facilitate development and regeneration and support local authority functions.

 

All investment decisions as part of this strategy are made by the Investment Management Board which is a cross party board comprising the Leaders of Conservatives, Greens, Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party as well as the Lead Member for Finance and Investment and the Executive member for Housing and Regeneration.

 

Risk is an integral part of making investments and the Council and Investment Management Board have adopted a prudent approach to investment:

 

-          All opportunities are appraised for their portfolio fit and alignment to our investment strategy by our external advisors CBRE.

-          Due diligence is performed on every investment and the outcome of that review is presented to the IMB as part of their decision making process.

-          Every investment recommendation to the IMB comes with a robustness statement from the Corporate Director of Finance and Systems and a view from the Council’s Monitoring Officer on the legal aspects.

-          The Council’s policy is also to set aside a risk reserve in relation to every investment which is usually about 1% of yield to assist in protecting the Council against market fluctuations.

-          Performance of the asset investment strategy is reported to the Executive in the regular Budget Monitoring reports and an annual review of all assets and investment has just been conducted by CBRE and will be reported to the next Investment Management Board.

 

All of these measures help reduce the Council’s exposure to risk however there will always be an element of market risk and we will be monitoring our investments very closely over the coming Brexit period.

 

The cross-party approach to investment combined with expert advice, due diligence and other measures puts us in a strong position to manage our risks.”

 

Councillor Myers asked as a supplementary question that given the increase in interest rates and downturn in high street footfall, the closure of retail stores and the failure to find tenants for existing property assets, how would the Executive Member improve the yield on property investments, particularly in the retail sector?

 

Recognising the challenges the economy continued to face,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

59.

Membership of Committees and Outside Bodies

To note the following membership changes to Committees and Outside Bodies necessitated by Council Patel’s appointment to the Executive, as agreed by the Chief Executive under delegated authority:

 

(a)    Accounts and Audit Committee

 

With effect from 10 January 2020, Councillor Winstanley was appointed as a member of the Accounts and Audit Committee and Councillor Lloyd appointed the Committee’s Vice-Chair.

 

(b)    Planning and Development Management Committee

 

Councillor Hartley was appointed to the Planning and Development Management Committee, with effect from 10 January 2020 and as a consequence, his substitute position on the Committee would remain vacant unless otherwise notified.

 

(c)    GMCA Greater Manchester Culture and Social Impact Fund Committee

 

        Councillor Patel was nominated as a replacement for Councillor Baugh on 15 January 2020.

 

(d)    AGMA Statutory Functions Committee

 

        Councillor Patel was nominated as a replacement for Councillor Baugh on 15 January 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED: That the Council notes the following membership changes to Committees and Outside Bodies, necessitated by Council Patel’s appointment to the Executive and agreed by the Chief Executive under delegated authority:

 

(a)    Accounts and Audit Committee

 

        With effect from 10 January 2020, Councillor Winstanley was appointed as a member of the Accounts and Audit Committee and Councillor Lloyd appointed the Committee’s Vice-Chair.

 

(b)    Planning and Development Management Committee

 

        Councillor Hartley was appointed to the Planning and Development Management Committee, with effect from 10 January 2020 and subsequently on 29 January 2019, Councillor Akinola was appointed to the substitute position on the Committee previously held by Councillor Hartley.

 

(c)    Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Greater Manchester Culture and Social Impact Fund Committee

 

        Councillor Patel was nominated as a replacement for Councillor Baugh on 15 January 2020.

 

(d)    Association of Greater Manchester Authorities: Statutory Functions Committee

 

        Councillor Patel was nominated as a replacement for Councillor Baugh on 15 January 2020.

60.

Extension of Six Month Attendance Rule pdf icon PDF 113 KB

To consider a report of the Corporate Director of Governance and Community Strategy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Corporate Director of Governance and Community Strategy submitted a report requesting the Council to consider a waiver of the six-month rule under the Local Government Act 1972 and to excuse the non-attendance of Councillor Jane Baugh at Council meetings for a further 6 months having regard to the circumstances of her absence from meetings.

 

RESOLVED –

 

(1)    That, having regard to the circumstances of the absence of Councillor Jane Baugh from Council meetings, the requirements of Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, be waived and that an extension of 6 months from the date of the meeting be approved.

 

(2)    That the Council expresses its best wishes to Councillor Baugh and wishes her a speedy recovery.

61.

Petition Requesting Crossing on Barrington Road, Altrincham pdf icon PDF 194 KB

To consider the following petition requiring debate:

 

“The Council is requested to give consideration to a crossing on Barrington Road, Altrincham.

 

The section where Sandiway Road / Gaskell Road intersect Barrington Road is used by many as a daily crossing point and is extremely dangerous. Traffic flow is often heavy in both directions, especially at peak travel times. Often pedestrians are forced to cross and wait in the middle of the road before a vehicle will stop to allow safe crossing. Many school children must cross this busy road each day to get to some of the local primary and secondary schools and increasingly have to wait longer to cross. There is concern that a serious accident could occur if a safe crossing is not made available.

 

Currently, there is only one crossing point on Barrington Road (at the junction with the A560, opposite Altrincham Methodist Church) which is insufficient for a road of this length, with such high volumes of traffic. This road is one of the main routes in and out of Altrincham Town Centre and people would be encouraged to walk and cycle more around this area if crossing this road was easier.

 

A crossing point, wherever is safest, around the aforementioned junction would also help cars and cyclists to safely pull out of Gaskell Road and Sandiway Road onto Barrington Road. On the Bee Network map, Barrington Road is already marked as a red ‘severance line’, cutting across significant ‘desire lines’ between local communities, parks, businesses and schools at the junction with the above two roads. The road here is also very wide, long and straight so traffic often appears to travel well in excess of the speed limit. Also, the large radius of the junctions with Gaskell Road and Sandiway Road enables cars to turn without needing to slow down significantly, while leaving pedestrians with a very wide expanse of road to cross before reaching safety.

 

There is a great deal of support for the proposal and it is hoped that a crossing will be considered.”

 

Note: In accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme, a petition containing more than 500 signatures will be debated by the Council. The petition organiser will be given five minutes to present the petition and then it will be discussed by the Council for a maximum of 15 minutes.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Petition organiser, Rachel Pleasant introduced the following petition containing 517 signatures, which had been presented to the Council:

 

“The Council is requested to give consideration to a crossing on Barrington Road, Altrincham.

 

The section where Sandiway Road / Gaskell Road intersect Barrington Road is used by many as a daily crossing point and is extremely dangerous. Traffic flow is often heavy in both directions, especially at peak travel times. Often pedestrians are forced to cross and wait in the middle of the road before a vehicle will stop to allow safe crossing. Many school children must cross this busy road each day to get to some of the local primary and secondary schools and increasingly have to wait longer to cross. There is concern that a serious accident could occur if a safe crossing is not made available.

 

Currently, there is only one crossing point on Barrington Road (at the junction with the A560, opposite Altrincham Methodist Church) which is insufficient for a road of this length, with such high volumes of traffic. This road is one of the main routes in and out of Altrincham Town Centre and people would be encouraged to walk and cycle more around this area if crossing this road was easier.

 

A crossing point, wherever is safest, around the aforementioned junction would also help cars and cyclists to safely pull out of Gaskell Road and Sandiway Road onto Barrington Road. On the Bee Network map, Barrington Road is already marked as a red ‘severance line’, cutting across significant ‘desire lines’ between local communities, parks, businesses and schools at the junction with the above two roads. The road here is also very wide, long and straight so traffic often appears to travel well in excess of the speed limit. Also, the large radius of the junctions with Gaskell Road and Sandiway Road enables cars to turn without needing to slow down significantly, while leaving pedestrians with a very wide expanse of road to cross before reaching safety.

 

There is a great deal of support for the proposal and it is hoped that a crossing will be considered.”

 

Addressing the Council, the lead petitioner drew attention to a fatal incident the previous Sunday which had occurred at the Barrington Road / Manchester Road Junction to emphasise the danger to pedestrians. In addition, with parked cars adding to poor visibility and vehicles that appeared to travel at speeds in excess of the 30 mph limit, the road was imitating to cross, particularly for young children. Aware that the area was being investigated in terms of the Bee Network, the petitioner expressed concern that the funding for the road/junction was not definite or that work may not happen for some years to come.

 

Councillors Adshead, Evans, Newgrosh and Welton debated the petition on behalf of the political parties and made the following points:

 

Councillor Adshead: The Council needs to await Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM’s) assessment of the scheme. Also, further to the Corporate Director’s response sent to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

62.

Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel pdf icon PDF 216 KB

To consider a report of the Corporate Director of Governance and Community Strategy and Monitoring Officer.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

[Note: Councillors Carey and Carter each declared a prejudicial interest in this matter being a Member appointed to one of the roles referred to in the Independent Remuneration Panel’s recommendations.]

 

The Chief Executive submitted a report presenting the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel convened in August 2019 to consider amendments to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances.

 

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“(1)   That the recommendations of the Panel, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved and backdated to the date of appointment of 22 May 2019.

 

 (2)   That the Corporate Director of Governance and Community Strategy be authorised to revise Part 6 of the Constitution (Members’ Allowances Scheme), in accordance with this decision.”

 

In putting the Motion to the vote a recorded vote was called for, in accordance with Procedure Rule 16.5. This resulted as follows:

 

Those in favour of the Motion: Councillors Acton, Adshead, Bennett, Brotherton, Coggins, Dr. Carr, Dillon, Freeman, Hartley, Hynes, Jarman, Jerrome, Lloyd, Longden, New, Patel, K. Procter, S. Procter, Ross, Slater, Taylor, Thomas, Walsh, Welton, A. Western, D. Western, Whitham, Whyte, Williams, Winstanley and Wright.

 

Those against the Motion: Councillors Anstee, Dr. Barclay, Miss Blackburn, Boyes, Bunting, Butt, Mrs. Churchill, Evans, Mrs. Haddad, Holden, Lally, Lamb, Morgan, Myers, Shaw and Mrs. P. Young.

 

Those choosing to abstain: Councillors Minnis and Newgrosh.

 

With the result of the vote being 31 in favour and 16 against, with 2 abstentions, the Motion was declared carried.

 

        RESOLVED –

 

(1)        That the recommendations of the Panel, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved and backdated to the date of appointment of 22 May 2019.

 

(2)        That the Corporate Director of Governance and Community Strategy be authorised to revise Part 6 of the Constitution (Members’ Allowances Scheme), in accordance with this decision.

 

63.

6-month Corporate Report on Health, Safety and Wellbeing - 1 April to 30 September 2019 pdf icon PDF 406 KB

To note a report of the Executive Member for Finance and Investment.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Finance and Investment submitted a report providing information on Council wide health and safety performance and trends in the workplace accidents. The report also provided a summary of other key developments in health, safety and wellbeing for the period 1 April to 30 September 2019.

 

With regard to terminology used in the report, the Executive Member agreed to a request to give consideration to the replacement of the term “Road Traffic Accident” in favour of a more neutral description, for example, “Road Traffic Crash or Collision” so not to imply guilt or blame, an approach which was advocated by road safety organisations and Greater Manchester Police.

 

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

64.

Motion Submitted by the Labour Group - Commitment to Supporting Disabled People and Re-Adoption of the Social Model of Disability

 

This Council recognises that in recent years, as a result of austerity, many disabled people have seen a reduction in the support and help available to them.  We believe this to be completely unacceptable and seek to restore equality of opportunity for disabled residents in order to create a fully inclusive Borough.

 

Trafford Council embraces and upholds its duty, under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equalities Duty of 2011 and seeks to eliminate all discrimination on the grounds of Disability, whilst fostering good relationships.

 

Moreover, Trafford Council embraces the Social Model of Disability, which moves away from viewing disability as an impairment; understanding that people are disabled by the barriers they face in society. The social model recognises the barriers that make life harder for disabled people. By seeking to remove these barriers, this Council strives to create equality; thus offering disabled people more independence, choice and control.

 

In reinforcing the Social Model of Disability, this Council recognises that barriers for disabled people can be:

 

     Organisational – including where the set-up of an organisation or system can create obstacles and problems for disabled people.

 

     Physical - where the physical design or layout of buildings and public spaces can create barriers, rendering them inaccessible to disabled people.

 

     Attitudinal - where there is a failure to consider or understand the requirements of disabled people. Or where there is conscious or unconscious bias or negative attitudes towards disabled people; creating a hostile, unwelcoming or discriminatory environment.

 

In recognising the value of the Social Model of Disability, Trafford Council believes that inclusivity and accessibility must be at the heart of all we deliver.

 

Trafford Council pledges to support disabled people in Trafford by re-adopting the Social Model and so strive in its policies and practices to create inclusive neighbourhoods and communities. We strive to remove barriers, whether Organisational, Physical or Attitudinal; thus enabling Disabled People to  fully participate in and benefit from all Trafford’s opportunities, facilities and activities.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“This Council recognises that in recent years, as a result of austerity, many disabled people have seen a reduction in the support and help available to them. We believe this to be completely unacceptable and seek to restore equality of opportunity for disabled residents in order to create a fully inclusive Borough.

 

Trafford Council embraces and upholds its duty, under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equalities Duty of 2011 and seeks to eliminate all discrimination on the grounds of Disability, whilst fostering good relationships.

 

Moreover, Trafford Council embraces the Social Model of Disability, which moves away from viewing disability as an impairment; understanding that people are disabled by the barriers they face in society. The social model recognises the barriers that make life harder for disabled people. By seeking to remove these barriers, this Council strives to create equality; thus offering disabled people more independence, choice and control.

 

In reinforcing the Social Model of Disability, this Council recognises that barriers for disabled people can be:

 

     Organisational – including where the set-up of an organisation or system can create obstacles and problems for disabled people.

 

     Physical - where the physical design or layout of buildings and public spaces can create barriers, rendering them inaccessible to disabled people.

 

     Attitudinal - where there is a failure to consider or understand the requirements of disabled people. Or where there is conscious or unconscious bias or negative attitudes towards disabled people; creating a hostile, unwelcoming or discriminatory environment.

 

In recognising the value of the Social Model of Disability, Trafford Council believes that inclusivity and accessibility must be at the heart of all we deliver.

 

Trafford Council pledges to support disabled people in Trafford by re-adopting the Social Model and so strive in its policies and practices to create inclusive neighbourhoods and communities. We strive to remove barriers, whether Organisational, Physical or Attitudinal; thus enabling Disabled People to fully participate in and benefit from all Trafford’s opportunities, facilities and activities.”

 

(Note: The time being 8:25 p.m., the Mayor indicated that speeches on this matter would now be limited to a maximum of three minutes per speaker.)

 

Following a debate on the matter, the Motion was agreed by general consent of the Council.

 

RESOLVED: That this Council recognises that in recent years, as a result of austerity, many disabled people have seen a reduction in the support and help available to them. We believe this to be completely unacceptable and seek to restore equality of opportunity for disabled residents in order to create a fully inclusive Borough.

 

Trafford Council embraces and upholds its duty, under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equalities Duty of 2011 and seeks to eliminate all discrimination on the grounds of Disability, whilst fostering good relationships.

 

Moreover, Trafford Council embraces the Social Model of Disability, which moves away from viewing disability as an impairment; understanding that people are disabled by the barriers they face in society. The social  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

65.

Motion Submitted by the Labour Group - Fireworks

 

Many members will have received the model motion from RSPCA members and supporters who are rightly concerned about the impact of fireworks on pets and livestock. It is generally regarded that this is a growing problem in residential areas and can be seen as a type of anti-social behaviour.

 

Short of banning fireworks at this stage, we need to look at a range of measures to mitigate the public nuisance and adverse effect on animals. We have been made aware of the work done by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and Greater Manchester Anti-Social Behaviour Unit (GMASBU) on the 2019 TREACLE campaign for responsible use of fireworks.

 

We therefore call upon this Council to:

 

1.      Recognise and adopt the TREACLE initiative which is produced by GMFRS and GMASBU to promote safe practices for the enjoyment of fireworks.

 

2.     Support and actively promote the 2020 TREACLE campaign which will be launched in mid-October to coincide with the sale of fireworks in the shops and raise awareness of safe practices and the enforcement powers of the police, fire service and trading standards.

 

3.     Call on the government to look at the whole area of fireworks in residential areas to see if any legislative changes would be appropriate.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“Many members will have received the model motion from Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals members and supporters who are rightly concerned about the impact of fireworks on pets and livestock. It is generally regarded that this is a growing problem in residential areas and can be seen as a type of anti-social behaviour.

 

Short of banning fireworks at this stage, we need to look at a range of measures to mitigate the public nuisance and adverse effect on animals. We have been made aware of the work done by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and Greater Manchester Anti-Social Behaviour Unit (GMASBU) on the 2019 TREACLE campaign for responsible use of fireworks.

 

We therefore call upon this Council to:

 

1.       Recognise and adopt the TREACLE initiative which is produced by GMFRS and GMASBU to promote safe practices for the enjoyment of fireworks.

 

2.       Support and actively promote the 2020 TREACLE campaign which will be launched in mid-October to coincide with the sale of fireworks in the shops and raise awareness of safe practices and the enforcement powers of the police, fire service and trading standards.

 

3.       Call on the government to look at the whole area of fireworks in residential areas to see if any legislative changes would be appropriate.”

 

(Note: Following speeches made by the mover and seconder of the motion, the time being 8:52 p.m., the Mayor indicated that speeches on this matter would now be limited to a maximum of two minutes per speaker.)

 

Following a debate on the matter, the Motion was agreed by general consent of the Council.

 

RESOLVED: That many members will have received the model motion from Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals members and supporters who are rightly concerned about the impact of fireworks on pets and livestock. It is generally regarded that this is a growing problem in residential areas and can be seen as a type of anti-social behaviour.

 

Short of banning fireworks at this stage, we need to look at a range of measures to mitigate the public nuisance and adverse effect on animals. We have been made aware of the work done by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and Greater Manchester Anti-Social Behaviour Unit (GMASBU) on the 2019 TREACLE campaign for responsible use of fireworks.

 

We therefore call upon this Council to:

 

1.     Recognise and adopt the TREACLE initiative which is produced by GMFRS and GMASBU to promote safe practices for the enjoyment of fireworks.

 

2.       Support and actively promote the 2020 TREACLE campaign which will be launched in mid-October to coincide with the sale of fireworks in the shops and raise awareness of safe practices and the enforcement powers of the police, fire service and trading standards.

 

3.       Call on the government to look at the whole area of fireworks in residential areas to see if any legislative changes would be appropriate.

66.

Motion Submitted by the Labour Group - National Joint Council (NJC) Pay: a Fully Funded, Proper Pay Rise for Council and School Workers

 

This Council notes that:

 

-     Local government has endured central government funding cuts of nearly 50% since 2010.

-     Between 2010 and 2020, councils will have lost 60p out of every £1 they have received from central government.

-     The 2019 Local Government Association (LGA) survey of council finances found that 1 in 3 councils fear they will run out of funding to provide even their statutory, legal duties by 2022/23. This number rises to almost two thirds of councils by 2024/2025 or later.

-     The LGA estimates councils will face a funding gap of £8 billion by 2025.

-     Faced with these cuts from central government, the local government workforce has endured years of pay restraint with the majority of pay points losing 22 per cent of their value since 2009/10.

-     At the same time as seeing their pay go down in real terms, workers experience ever increasing workloads and persistent job insecurity. Across the UK, an estimated 876,000 jobs have been lost in local government since June 2010 – a reduction of 30 per cent. Local government has arguably been hit by more severe job losses than any other part of the public sector.

-     There has been a disproportionate impact on women, with women making up more than three quarters of the local government workforce.

 

This Council believes:

 

-     Our workers are public service super heroes. They keep our communities clean, look after those in need and keep our towns and cities running.

-     Without the professionalism and dedication of our staff, the council services our residents rely on would not be deliverable.

-     Government funding has been cut to the extent that a proper pay rise could result in a reduction in local government services.

-     The government needs to take responsibility and fully fund increases in pay; it should not put the burden on local authorities whose funding has been cut to the bone.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

-     Support the pay claim submitted by UNISON GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers for a £10 per hour minimum wage and a 10 per cent uplift across all other pay points in 2020/21.

-     Call on the Local Government Association to make urgent representations to central government to fund the NJC pay claim.

-     Write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to call for a pay increase for local government workers to be funded with new money from central government.

-     Meet with local NJC union representatives to convey support for the pay claim.

-     Encourage all local government workers to join a union.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

[Note: Before speaking on the Motion, Councillors Slater (mover), Williams (seconder) and Thomas declared personal interests in this matter as follows:

 

-        Councillor Slater as a local government employee and member of the Unison union;

-        Councillor Williams as a member of the Unison union;

-        Councillor Thomas as a member of the GMB union.]

 

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“This Council notes that:

 

-     Local government has endured central government funding cuts of nearly 50% since 2010.

-     Between 2010 and 2020, councils will have lost 60p out of every £1 they have received from central government.

-     The 2019 Local Government Association (LGA) survey of council finances found that 1 in 3 councils fear they will run out of funding to provide even their statutory, legal duties by 2022/23. This number rises to almost two thirds of councils by 2024/2025 or later.

-     The LGA estimates councils will face a funding gap of £8 billion by 2025.

-     Faced with these cuts from central government, the local government workforce has endured years of pay restraint with the majority of pay points losing 22 per cent of their value since 2009/10.

-     At the same time as seeing their pay go down in real terms, workers experience ever increasing workloads and persistent job insecurity. Across the UK, an estimated 876,000 jobs have been lost in local government since June 2010 – a reduction of 30 per cent. Local government has arguably been hit by more severe job losses than any other part of the public sector.

 

-     There has been a disproportionate impact on women, with women making up more than three quarters of the local government workforce.

 

This Council believes:

 

-     Our workers are public service super heroes. They keep our communities clean, look after those in need and keep our towns and cities running.

-     Without the professionalism and dedication of our staff, the council services our residents rely on would not be deliverable.

-     Government funding has been cut to the extent that a proper pay rise could result in a reduction in local government services.

-     The government needs to take responsibility and fully fund increases in pay; it should not put the burden on local authorities whose funding has been cut to the bone.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

-       Support the pay claim submitted by UNISON GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers for a £10 per hour minimum wage and a 10 per cent uplift across all other pay points in 2020/21.

-       Call on the Local Government Association to make urgent representations to central government to fund the NJC pay claim.

-       Write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to call for a pay increase for local government workers to be funded with new money from central government.

-       Meet with local NJC union representatives to convey support for the pay claim.

-       Encourage all local government workers to join a union.”

 

Following a debate on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66.