The Labour opposition on Bath and North East Somerset Council has expressed strong surprise that a critical decision regarding pay cuts for 106 council workers is being delegated to a committee of just three councillors.
Tomorrow (May 14), the council’s employment committee will vote on a new pay structure that, while offering raises to 62% of the council’s 3,500 employees, would reduce pay for these 106 workers starting June 1. The council maintains that a pay protection policy will prevent anyone’s salary from decreasing for three years.
Labour group leader Robin Moss (Westfield) revealed the party has held urgent talks with trade unions, the council leader, and the chief executive. Labour supports Unison’s call for this decision to be debated and approved by the full council, not just a small committee.
READ MORE: Woman Dies After Horse Spooked by Motorcyclist Falls; Case Referred for Investigation
READ MORE: Brand New Somerset Railway Station Plan ‘Still on Track’
“We appreciate that the unions have secured a three-year pay protection period,” Moss stated. “However, it’s vital that there are thorough, tailored discussions to ensure job roles and salary evaluations are accurate.”
He added, “We are very concerned and surprised that only three Liberal Democrat councillors will make this final decision without a full council debate. This issue is significant enough to warrant wider scrutiny.”
The Independents for B&NES group, formed last month by three independent councillors, also criticized the proposals. Their leader, Karen Walker (Peasedown St John), urged the council to grant pay rises instead, warning that the cuts could trigger a major strike.
“We fully back the workers in this dispute. Many of these dedicated employees feel the proposed pay cuts are a ‘kick in the teeth’ and disregard their hard work,” Walker said.
Among those affected, an IT worker described the news as “gutting.” Additionally, up to 245 more council staff in passenger transport and waste and recycling departments face potential cuts when their pay restructure proposals come into effect over the next three months.
Council chief executive Will Godfrey defended the proposals, emphasizing fairness and extensive consultation with unions since August 2024.
Unison’s local branch chair, Amy Rushton, strongly disputes the council’s fairness claim, highlighting that the cuts disproportionately affect some of the lowest-paid employees. She added, “Even with pay protection, these workers will be worse off.”
Unison suspects the pay cuts may be a strategy to avoid equal pay claims following the council’s recent in-house transfer of adult social care contracts, which mainly involved lower-paid female workers protected under TUPE regulations. The proposed pay reductions mostly impact male-dominated departments.
Social worker and Unison activist Toni Mayo emphasized, “As a woman and social worker, I want equal pay to be resolved by raising women’s wages, not lowering men’s.”
According to the council’s pay protection policy, any affected workers will have their current pay frozen for three years. If the new role’s pay exceeds their frozen rate during that time, they will receive the higher salary. After three years, the council stated, “it is possible no individual will experience an overall pay reduction.”
The employment committee meeting is scheduled for 10 am on Wednesday, May 14, at Bath Guildhall. This session coincides with the council’s “values week,” during which staff participate in training on council values.
