Agenda and minutes

There was no notification of substitute members received.

Members are reminded of their obligation under the Council’s Code of Conduct to disclose any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Other Significant Interests in any matter(s) to be considered or being considered at the meeting. These are explained in the Code of Conduct on the Council’s website at Code of conduct – Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (tmbc.gov.uk).

Members in any doubt about such declarations are advised to contact Legal or Democratic Services in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest made in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

This report provides Members with a variety of options in considering of a pay award for employees for 2023/24 within the funding envelope specified at the last meeting of General Purposes Committee on 25 January.

Careful consideration was given to a number of options for an employee pay award for 2023/24 within a ‘funding envelope’ of £584k.  At the meeting of General Purposes on 25 January 2023, Members had supported the principle of a 5% pay award but asked for a range of options to be assessed and presented for further consideration. 

Concern was expressed that staff on the lowest wage were least resilient to the current cost of living crisis.  However, it was also recognised that staff on a medium/higher wage could equally be impacted by the cost of living. 

Councillor D Lettington proposed, seconded by Councillor A Clark that a different percentage be applied to each grade and that the lowest grade receive the highest percentage. 

Concern was expressed that the proposal could be divisive amongst staff with some feeling undervalued, could impact negatively on the retention and recruitment of staff and lead to longer term destabilisation of the grading/banding structure.

Following a formal vote this proposal was rejected.

Councillor Davis, seconded by Councillor Keers proposed a 5% pay award for all staff from 1 April 2023, with a retrospective pay award backdated to 1 January 2023 for all staff on pay scales 1-6 (as set out in Option 2 of the report).

It was reported that this option would result in a currently unbudgeted one off cost to the Council of £50,000 which could be met from the General Revenue Reserve in 2022/23 subject to approval from the Council.

On the grounds that this proposal would provide additional pay to staff on lower grades, whilst still ensuring that a 5% pay award applied to all posts and seemed fair and equitable to all staff, Members voted in favour of Option 2.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             a 5% pay award for all staff from 1 April 2023 with a retrospective pay award backdated to 1 January 2023 for staff on pay scales 1-6 be approved.

RECOMMENDED:  That

(2)             the one-off cost of backdating the pay award to scales 1-6 of £50k be met from the Borough Council’s General Revenue Reserve in 2022/23 be commended to Council for endorsement.

*Referred to Council

The Chairman to move that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting during consideration of any items the publication of which would disclose exempt information.

There were no items considered in private.