Agenda item

MOTION ON NOTICE - Regional Pay

Minutes:

Councillor Peter Smith proposed the following motion on notice –

 

REGIONALPAY

 

PlymouthCity Councilnotesthe announcementby GeorgeOsborneofplanstowiden thesystem oflocalpublic sectorpaystructuresandhis requesttopayreview bodiestoreporton theissue fromJune 2012.

 

TheChancellorhasstatedthatpublic sectorpayshouldmimic theprivatesectorandbe more reflectiveof localeconomies.

 

PlymouthCity Councilbelievesthata move toregionalor localpayschemeswill leadtoa large reductionin payandspendingpower andultimatelya skillsdrainout ofPlymouth.For highly skilled people Plymouthwill become a lessattractivedestinationandthiswill inevitablymakeit moredifficult forlocal organisationstorecruitthetalentrequiredtoleadandovercomethehuge andimmediatechallengesfacingthepublic sector.

 

WithPlymouthhighlydependenton thepublic sectorfor employment,anyattempttodrivedown wagesin localpublic sectororganisationscanonly beconsideredcounterproductiveandwill have profoundconsequencesfor thelocaleconomy. Limitingpeople’s spendingpower willreduce demandin theeconomy andwill come asa bitterblow tolocalbusinesses.

 

PlymouthCity Councilthereforeresolvestoresistanyattemptstointroducelocalor regionalpay schemes andask theLeaderof theCouncil towrite to thePrimeMinister,theChancellor, Plymouth’sMPs,payreviewbodies andlocalpublic sectoremployerssettingout thecouncil’s oppositiontoa regionalisedpayandthesevere consequencesthatanysuchschemewill haveon theeconomy ofPlymouth.

 

Councillor Jon Taylor seconded the motion.

 

During the debate issues raised included that –

 

(a) 

regional pay undermined national agreements;

(b) 

regional pay would be damaging for the economy and would have economic consequences for the people of Plymouth;

(c) 

this was part of the Chancellor’s plan to  externalise the public sector and would result in a “brain drain” from the south west.

 

Following a request from ten councillors for a recorded vote, there voted –

For the motion –

Councillors Mrs Aspinall, Ball, Mrs Beer, Bowie, Bowyer, Mrs Bowyer, Browne, Casey, Churchill, Coker, Damarell, Darcy, P Davey, Mrs Dolan, Drean, Evans, Foster, Mrs Foster, Fox, Fry, Gordon, Haydon, James, Jarvis, Michael Leaves, Sam Leaves, Lowry, Dr Mahony, McDonald, Monahan, Murphy, Mrs Nelder, Nicholson, Mrs Nicholson, Parker, Penberthy, Mrs Pengelly, Rennie, Dr Salter, Singh, John Smith, Peter Smith, Stark, Stevens, J Taylor, K Taylor, Tuffin, Tuohy, Vincent, Wheeler and Wigens.

 

Abstentions (1)

 

The Lord Mayor

 

The following members were absent  (6)

 

Councillor S. Davey, Jordan, Martin Leaves, Nicholson, Ricketts and Williams.

 

Following the vote the motion was carried.

Supporting documents: