The 25 pence per hour pay award agreed for Whitley Council manual workers for the current financial year will cost an estimated £750,000 across Government, Employers’ Side chairman Chris Robertshaw MHK has revealed.
Mr Robertshaw confirmed that in line with Government’s policy of freezing its overall salary costs Departments are expected to fund the increase from within existing provision for pay, to avoid having an impact on other budgets.
He explained: ‘The settlement was agreed in order to balance the need for workers to meet increased living costs with maintaining sustainable terms and conditions for public sector staff. The 25 pence per hour figure equates to a two per cent increase in total cost terms but it is proportionately more beneficial to the lower paid workers.’
Government employs around 1,650 manual and craft workers on Whitley Council terms and conditions.
