Blackburn council pledge to increase wages is criticised
3:05pm Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News
By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter
A PLEDGE by Blackburn with Darwen borough to increase wages for hundreds of its lowest paid staff by more than a pound an hour has been criticised by political and business leaders.
The critics have said they cannot see how the authority can propose such a move at the same time as complaining about being forced to rein back spend-ing and cut services because of Whitehall grant reductions.
The full council forum has approved the authority’s corp-orate plan for 2012 to 2015, which includes a target of paying all its 3,000 plus employee a “living wage” of £7.20 an hour compared to the national minimum wage of £6.08 a hour.
On page four the document outlines how the borough is “planning for future savings of between £11 million and £27 million over the next two years”.
On page six it states the aim of paying the “living wage” to staff.
Executive member for resources Andy Kay said: “This would affect some hundreds of our lowest paid employees. We cannot do it now because of the financial situation.”
Tory leader Michael Lee said: “While this may be a worthy aim, you must question whether now is the time to be considering it.”
Mike Damms, chief executive of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a complex issue. What the council pays its staff is a matter for it.
“If they want to pay the highest earning employees a bit less to pay their lowest paid a bit more, that is their affair.
“However, they should not be paying their staff more than their counterparts in the private sector.”
Jonathan Isaby, political director of the Tax-Payers’ Alliance, said: “Hard-pressed council taxpayers in Blackburn with Darwen certainly have every right to ask how on earth the council thinks it could afford to introduce a ‘living wage’ when it is having to find tens of millions in savings elsewhere.
“More than that, they will wonder why — when public sector workers already enjoy better average pay and pensions than their private sector counterparts — the council is seeking effectively to widen that gap further.”
Comments(21)
Elegant1
says...
3:50pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Brian Todd
says...
4:06pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Many of our population are paid what is the legal "Minimum Wage" but this is nt enough to live a reasonable life in 2012 thefogures now suggested would allow a decent life although not a very generous one.
I only wish our Private employers would take as much tine to consider their workers and agree to offer this absolute minimum stanfard as opposed to the "Legal Minimum Wage".
jack daniels
says...
4:21pm Tue 4 Sep 12
ies than others on the same pay.
Are we intending to see an increase across the board (bad timing to say the least!) or have the forum an idea about resolving this potential tinder box?
midas
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4:33pm Tue 4 Sep 12
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How much does Jonathan Isaby earn? I bet its a lot more than £7 per hour.
mavrick
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4:44pm Tue 4 Sep 12
barryinthailand
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5:20pm Tue 4 Sep 12
ste.g
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6:37pm Tue 4 Sep 12
RUinsane
says...
8:18pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Yeah sounds good doesn't it. Then you realise all the minimum wage workers in the private sector are the immagrants this government and the last government brought in to keep the wokers wages down. They want you to live in abject poverty whilst they quaff the champaigne and laugh at your stupidity. Monkeys thats all you are, working for bananas
woolywords
says...
8:54pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Commerce says, '..they should not be paying their staff more than their counterparts in the private sector.”
Oh really?
So you would sooner see a poorer quality service in the area, as the profits are siphoned off to some bank in Lichtenstien then, evading UK tax and publication of profits, as was the case with Biffa bin, until a 'whistle-blower' exposed them?
Do you think for one second that those in the private sector are going to be better paid, with better working conditions, paid holidays and a pension when they are too knackered to work? That's even if they haven't made off with the pension funds before the day to pay out.
Tell you what do, phone up the Council, ask for a week on the bins then ask yourself if you would walk a few miles in his boots for the same money. I know how it is, for I was a binman in Clitheroe, when they used poly bags and I'm here to tell you that it is hard graft. Then there is the distance covered, about 4 miles an hour for an 8 hour day. That's 6 more than a Marathon, every day for 5 days.
In future, I suggest that you engage brain before opening mouth and avoid vacillating on any subject that you patently know nothing about!
turd moor
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9:04pm Tue 4 Sep 12
it's because it's the council people are having a whinge and nothing else
salcat
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10:17pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Excluded again
says...
10:28pm Tue 4 Sep 12
I expect an announcement from Councillor Michael Lee, Mike Damms and Jonathon Isaby that they will be being paid £6.08 an hour for the next year (at least). Otherwise they are just greedy hypocrites - wanting to keep high wages for themselves but denying decent wages to toehr people.
SWP supporter
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4:10am Wed 5 Sep 12
Rumpole
says...
9:04am Wed 5 Sep 12
turd moor wrote:Even if private sector pay rises were made public the council would have absolutely no right to complain as the private sector is not funded by the taxpayer.
would council workers complain if you all got a pay rise off your own bosses,no because it's not made public but if it was made public would council worker's still complain.no because it's nothing to do with anyone else
it's because it's the council people are having a whinge and nothing else
If the council workers really believe they are entitled to a better wage then they should look for a job in the private sector and stop complaining that they don't get paid enough.
Brilliant how they can find money for pay rises when they are complaining of cuts to staff and services yet can find the money to treat themselves to a better wage than most of the people that pay their wages, maybe if they did their job properly in the first place then the taxpayers might believe they deserve a pay rise.
Above all remember, you work for the council, you are a servant to the taxpayers of the borough, you are not a member of the royal household or the house of lords and certainly no better than the ordinary worker on the street so suck it up and do your jobs properly!
ladysal
says...
11:14am Wed 5 Sep 12
Rumpole wrote:The story is talking about a rise from £6.08 to £7.20 an hour!! Do you have issues with your bins being emptied, your streets cleaned / your children supervised whilst on their lunch break at school? These are the people who would get the rise, not the entire public sector / council staff. The people who are making the decision are the ones on ludicrously high wages which don't appear to be affected by this. If the people who would be in line for the raise are on a better wage than people you know, then you need to talk to the authorities as the work force you know are being illegally paid less than the minimum wage.
turd moor wrote: would council workers complain if you all got a pay rise off your own bosses,no because it's not made public but if it was made public would council worker's still complain.no because it's nothing to do with anyone else it's because it's the council people are having a whinge and nothing elseEven if private sector pay rises were made public the council would have absolutely no right to complain as the private sector is not funded by the taxpayer. If the council workers really believe they are entitled to a better wage then they should look for a job in the private sector and stop complaining that they don't get paid enough. Brilliant how they can find money for pay rises when they are complaining of cuts to staff and services yet can find the money to treat themselves to a better wage than most of the people that pay their wages, maybe if they did their job properly in the first place then the taxpayers might believe they deserve a pay rise. Above all remember, you work for the council, you are a servant to the taxpayers of the borough, you are not a member of the royal household or the house of lords and certainly no better than the ordinary worker on the street so suck it up and do your jobs properly!
Get off your high horse, read the article and get your facts straight.
midas
says...
3:58pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Rumpole wrote:Why would they have no right to complain? The money that public sector workers spend helps to pay the wages of the private sector.
turd moor wrote: would council workers complain if you all got a pay rise off your own bosses,no because it's not made public but if it was made public would council worker's still complain.no because it's nothing to do with anyone else it's because it's the council people are having a whinge and nothing elseEven if private sector pay rises were made public the council would have absolutely no right to complain as the private sector is not funded by the taxpayer. If the council workers really believe they are entitled to a better wage then they should look for a job in the private sector and stop complaining that they don't get paid enough. Brilliant how they can find money for pay rises when they are complaining of cuts to staff and services yet can find the money to treat themselves to a better wage than most of the people that pay their wages, maybe if they did their job properly in the first place then the taxpayers might believe they deserve a pay rise. Above all remember, you work for the council, you are a servant to the taxpayers of the borough, you are not a member of the royal household or the house of lords and certainly no better than the ordinary worker on the street so suck it up and do your jobs properly!
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Why do you link poor pay in the public sector to pay in the private sector?
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" yet can find the money to treat themselves to a better wage than most of the people that pay their wages..." thats the point these are people on the minimum wage and they will get an extra £1 per hour, do you earnmore than £7 per hour?
jack daniels
says...
9:51pm Wed 5 Sep 12
Minus Tax = £2379
Minus NI = £1488.96
Total = £16132.04
I will obviously pay my mortgage out of this rather than claim housing benefit (housing benefit for a 3 bedroom is £103.85pw x 52 = £5400)
Minus £5400
Total = £10732.04
If I was unemployed I would be able to claim up to £111.45 pw (£111.45 x 52 = £5795.40)
Minus £5795.40
Total = £4936.64
Minus VAT @20% = £987.33 (this should cover added petrol and booze tax V’s food being vat free)
Total = £3949.31
Now I know that these figures are not exact (so please don’t be petty) but the point is that £4855.29 of the £20k goes straight back into the government coffers as tax and when you add the difference between me providing an important service in the public sector and being unemployed we are looking at roughly £3949.31; which is pretty good value for the services we provide for YOU the people.
anon 7
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12:29pm Thu 6 Sep 12
anon 7
says...
12:34pm Thu 6 Sep 12
julespent
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10:05pm Fri 7 Sep 12
roversjeff says...
3:42pm Tue 4 Sep 12