Salford City Council is the first organisation in the north west to officially reach a collective agreement to fully implement the national pay agreement.
It is all part of the national pay agreement, which introduces a new national pay spine in April 2019. A deal has been reached with the trade unions on transition with a collective agreement signed by all parties on Wednesday 12 December.
It will see those on starting salaries of just over £19,000 receive a two per cent increase, in addition to any progression through the pay structure – with those on lower wages receiving a higher increase. Building on the council’s commitment to ensure that the lowest paid earn a fair living wage as an accredited Foundation Living Wage employer.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett praised the close working relationships of all involved and said: “As a testament to the positive employee relations in Salford we have been working closely behind the scenes with the trade unions to get this deal agreed quickly.
“As a Labour council, we are proud of our close working relationships with the trade unions and believe decent representation for our employees is essential for our organisation to serve the interests of the city.
“Our employees work tirelessly for the city, and have had to put up with years of budget cuts forcing them to work with less resources, in totally new ways and under a lot more pressure. It is only right and proper that we work closely with the Union to ensure their voices are heard, and they are supported as much as possible.
Councillor John Ferguson, Lead Member for Workforce and Industrial Relations at Salford City Council, said: “This agreement has been reached as a result of joint working between the council and the trade unions with thanks to them and the officers involved for all their work to go through incredibly smoothly. We are here to support local people in Salford and make sure they have the best possible pay and conditions possible.”
Steve North, Salford City UNISON & Staff Side Joint Secretary said: “This agreement ensures that all Salford City Council workers will receive at least a 2% increase in April 19, with most achieving more and some of the lowest paid receiving over 7%. The pace at which we have been able to secure this is a testament to the commitment shown by UNISON, UNITE and GMB and our partners at Salford City Council – officers and elected members – to working together to strengthen the pay of council workers.”
