Council workers in Bath and North East Somerset are feeling undervalued and anxious as a proposed new pay structure threatens pay reductions for over a hundred roles, despite the council’s assurance that no employee’s salary will decrease for at least three years.
On May 14, the Bath and North East Somerset Council Employment Committee is set to decide whether to implement a revised pay structure from June 1. The council claims this change will lead to pay increases for 62% of its 3,500 staff, alongside a national pay award backdated to April 1, 2025. However, more than a hundred roles—including roughly one-third of the IT department—face downgraded pay bands. While the council has introduced a pay protection policy to freeze affected employees’ salaries at their current level for up to three years, many workers feel the changes are a “gutting” blow to their value and morale.
One IT staff member shared concerns over the proposed cut, equating it to a £4,500–£5,000 annual drop in their role’s pay. Though the pay protection scheme would maintain their current wage short term, they expressed deep frustration, saying, “How can the council do this? What the hell? Am I not worth enough? Am I supposed to think that I have been overpaid?” Many in the department, already stretched thin due to vacancies, fear further departures as a result.
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Another IT employee highlighted the critical role their team plays in supporting frontline council services—from maintaining public websites and phone systems to safeguarding vulnerable residents through children’s services and care homes. They argued the pay revisions undervalue these essential contributions, especially as IT staff often work beyond regular hours with high performance standards.
Unison, the trade union representing council workers, suspects that the pay adjustments may be an attempt to avoid equal pay claims following the recent transfer of adult social care staff—largely women on lower salaries—into the council workforce. Notably, departments facing pay cuts are predominantly male, raising concerns about the fairness of the approach. Unison activist and social worker Toni Mayo emphasized, “We want women to be paid more, not men to be paid less.”
The Independents for B&NES group has criticized the council’s pay proposals, with leader Karen Walker warning of potential strikes and describing the proposed cuts as a “kick in the teeth” to hardworking staff. Meanwhile, council chief executive Will Godfrey maintained that the proposals aim for fairness after extensive negotiation and consulting with trade unions. He clarified that most staff will not see changes immediately, and the council remains engaged with employees affected in transport and recycling departments.
The pay protection scheme will freeze salaries for individuals whose roles’ pay scales are reduced but promises that if future pay increases raise the new salary above their frozen wage, employees will receive the higher amount. The protection cap is set at 10% of the new lowered salary, and changes do not apply to voluntary overtime or staff moving to new roles.
The Employment Committee’s decision comes during the council’s “values week,” adding to tensions as workers face mandatory training on council values amid the looming pay disputes. Unison has called for the full council to reconsider the decision.
If approved, the new pay structure will take effect from June 1, with further decisions on transport and recycling staff pay to follow in the coming months.