Waltham Forest Council still propose to cut the allowances paid to low paid workers, freeze incremental pay rises and reduce sick pay whilst at the same time transferring their highest paid staff to new grades where they will be able to earn more pay over the next few years.

UNISON has produced reports that show how differently employees are being treated. At the top end the Head of HR was originally employed in December 2010 at a salary of £95,000 but her salary was increased shortly after her arrival to £106,957 per year. Under the Council proposals she will move on to a new grade that will rise to £109,000 per year.

At the same time a Library Assistant, working full time and earning £18,582 per year who has had their salary frozen by the Government pay freeze for the last two years is expected to lose £7,619 and will be expected to take on additional weekend working despite losing their weekend enhancements.

A Care Assistant working in a residential care home who currently earns £20,877 for a full 36 hour week will be expected to take a cut of £4,202 in their earnings after having suffered a two year pay freeze.

A Meals on Wheels Assistant earning £8,145 per year for an 18 hour week is set to lose £995 while another who only works weekends will lose £640 of their £1,357 annual salary. This is because they are losing car allowance and weekend working enhancements even though they have to use their own vehicles to deliver meals to the elderly and vulnerable people of the borough.

There are other high losers in the Council proposals. A Highways Enforcement Officer, a job that involves being on call and ready work at a moment’s notice, will be losing £7,784 of their £31,761 annual pay for cleaning up Waltham Forest streets after road traffic accidents and other incidents day and night.

Noise Officers and Dog Enforcement Officers also stand to lose significant sums of£6,183 and £3,400 respectively.

UNISON spokesperson Dave Knight said,“These reports show how this Council is replicating the Government’s approach to the financial crisis by protecting the wealthier staff and making the low paid pay the cost for the crisis. The members most affected are our members who carry out front line operational duties such as home care, residential care, staffing the shops and libraries and carrying out environmental work”

The Council are due to make their final decisions about the cuts they want to make to their employees’ pay, terms and conditions at a specially formulated staffing committee run by just 4 councillors on Wednesday 14th September.

Staff who do not sign up voluntarily to the cuts will be dismissed.

Yours

Dave Knight
Branch Secretary
UNISON in Waltham Forest
Cherry Tree House
Waltham Forest Town Hall
Forest Road
Walthamstow E17 4JF

020 8496 4703

www.unisonwalthamforest.org.uk