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David Powell
Officers’ Side Secretary
Soulbury Committee
Hamilton House
Mabledon Place
London
WC1 9BD
4 September 2024
Dear David
Soulbury Pay 2024
Thank you for your pay claim, which we received on 8 May. Following its receipt, the Employers’ Side undertook a consultation of councils in England and Wales and then met in late August to discuss and consider a formal response.
The most important factor in reaching a decision on this response has been affordability. We have a duty to balance your claim against the interests of local residents, in terms of the level and quality of services provided by local authorities. The proposed increase will be difficult to fund in a number of local authorities and anything beyond that would take many more authorities well beyond their level of affordability.
We recognise that our offer falls short of your aspirations, but the effects of an unaffordable increase are inescapable: councils would have to make cuts in services, with a subsequent impact on jobs and council tax payers.
I therefore set out below a one year offer on behalf of the Employers’ Side in response to the Officers’ Side’s pay and conditions claim for 2024.
This is as follows:
- an increase of 2.5 per cent on all pay points with effect from 1 September 2024.
- an increase of 2.5 per cent on all allowances with effect from 1 September 2024.
In terms of the pay structure elements in your claim:
- In the spine for Education Improvement Professionals, points 1-4 should be eliminated, making point 5 the first point of the spine.
- In Scale A for Educational Psychologists, points 1-3 should be eliminated, making point 4 the first point of the scale.
- Points 6-14 of Scale A are identical to points 1-9 of the scale for Senior and Principal Educational Psychologists. This overlap would be reduced if points 1-3 of the latter were eliminated, making point 4 the first point of the scale.
The Employers’ Side has given this careful consideration but is unable to agree to these elements of your claim on the basis of cost and affordability and the need for local authorities to maintain local flexibility.
In terms of the other elements of your claim:
- The review of SPA points should include consideration of the following:
- the joint Soulbury guidance on SPA points to ensure clarity and consistent application.
- a fourth SPA point.
The Employers’ Side continues to agree to a review of SPA points, at Joint Secretarial level, on a without prejudice basis. We believe that joint guidance on SPA points would help to support greater consistency and provide clarification on its application.
- A review of London Area Payments.
The Employers’ Side continues to agree to a review of London Area Payments, at Joint Secretarial level, on a without prejudice basis.
The Employers’ Side understands that each of your unions and staff associations will have its own processes and procedures to follow, but we urge you all to please try and synchronise the timing and duration of your membership consultations in order that a final agreement is reached so that Soulbury Officers, who continue to provide such critical support to their communities, can receive this award as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing the Officers’ Side’s response.
Yours sincerely
David Algie
Employers’ Side Secretariat
The LGA, 18 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ
Telephone: 020 7187 7373
Email: [email protected]
www.local.gov.uk