Borough of Poole is preparing to introduce a revised pay and grading structure for council employees to comply with equal pay legislation.
The council is ready to implement the final stage of a national agreement to ensure that pay and grading for all its staff is fair and non-discriminatory.
The new arrangements follow an extensive equal pay review, covering about 3,700 employees, and brings the council into line with the National Single Status Agreement, a legal requirement which aims to remove any historic unfairness in how local authority workers are paid.
Councillor Brian Leverett, Leader of the Council, said: "The revised pay and grading arrangements for employees aim to ensure that the council can meet the needs of residents and best deliver local services.
"The majority of employees will see little change to their pay after the revised structure comes into place. Some employees will find that their pay will increase, while some will see their pay decrease. In those cases where the pay grade has gone down, the council has put in place measures to minimise the impact.
"The proposed agreement is a legal requirement and the cost of implementing it is included in the council’s current and future budgets. It is affordable and will offer value for money for council taxpayers."
The review has been carried out in partnership with the trade unions, which will now conduct a ballot of their members on the proposed agreement. The result of the ballot is expected in January 2010.
John McBride, Chief Executive of Borough of Poole, said: "By carrying out an equal pay review the council has committed to tackling pay inequalities within the workplace. We recognise the need to reward staff fairly based upon equal pay for work of equal value. The council has carried out extensive work, in consultation with the trade unions, to reach a mutually acceptable draft agreement on a new pay and grading structure that is fair and affordable."
