Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology was received from Councillor Elwyn Jones (Vice-chair of the Council)

To receive any declaration of personal interest

Councillor Eric M Jones and Councillor Selwyn Griffiths as their children worked for the Council. The members were not of the opinion that it was a prejudicial interest as it was the Pay Policy that was being reviewed and not the officers' salaries.

To note any items that is a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

None to note

thThe Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meeting of this committee held on 26^th November 2021 be signed as a true record

The Chairman signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee, held on 26 November 2021, as a true record.

To submit the report of the Chief Executive

That the Appointment Committee proposes the Pay Policy Statement (draft) to the Council, on 3 March 2022, for adoption for 2022/23.

The Chief Executive presented the report, noting that there was a statutory duty on each Council to prepare a Pay Policy Statement annually. In accordance with the Council's decision in adopting a Pay Policy for 2012/13, the Chief Officers Appointment Committee was expected to conduct an annual review of the policy's sustainability and to submit any recommendations following the review of the Pay Policy to the Full Council annually. 

It was reported that no amendments were being proposed to the policy this year,

Attention was drawn to the review of Chief Officers' salary. Members were reminded that the Committee had recommended a review of Chief Officers' salaries, but that the review should not be undertaken until a decision at a national level had first been made. It was reported that an agreement had not been reached to date for 2021/22. The intention was to undertake a review and present the findings to the Committee following the publication of the national agreement.

In the context of the salaries of posts under the level of chief officers, it was noted that, as with the chief officers' salaries, a national agreement had not been reached. It was added that discussions continued between the Unions and the Employers, that a ballot had been held and that the outcome was expected in the coming weeks.

Following an announcement by Welsh Government (December 2021) to finance an increase in pay for staff working in the care sector to the level of the Living Wage (£9.90), councils would need to ensure compliance with that guidance from April 2022. It was noted that, in anticipation of a pay rise for 2021/22 and 2022/23, the Council's carers would receive an hourly rate that was over and above the Living Wage rate; if no national agreement was reached, steps would have to be taken to raise salary levels from 1 April 2022, in accordance with the guidance.

It was added that the Council had adopted the GLPC Job Evaluation Scheme criteria as the basis for setting salary grades for all posts employed under the Local Government Workers’ Conditions of Service. It was explained that the relationship between the remunerations of its Chief Officers and its other employees was designed to secure the ability of the Council to be able to recruit and retain the best suitable candidates to its various posts, whilst maintaining the differentials as defined by the job evaluation scheme. It was highlighted that the Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector recommended a ratio of no more than 1:20 between the highest and lowest salary (full-time) - this ratio within the Council was currently 1:6.4.

Since the publication of the report, it was noted that a national agreement had been reached to increase the salaries of Chief Executives by 1.5%. Subject to accepting the Pay Policy Statement, the report to the Full Council (03/03/22), would be updated to reflect the increase.

Thanks were expressed for the report

During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.