Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from Head of Human Resources regarding the proposal to increase the Cambridge Weighting (minimum £10.00 per hour) for employees and agency workers to £11.00 with effect from April 2023.

The Head of Human Resources said the following in response to Members’ questions:

i.                Employees of Shared Services lead by other councils and agency workers who did not qualify for the Real Living Wage, engaged for only for short Cambridge event periods, were not covered by the Cambridge Weighting.

ii.               There was an opportunity to review the Cambridge Weighting rate later in the year in the review of the Pay Policy Statement.

iii.             £11/hour was arrived at as it seemed a reasonable figure in light of current information on the Real Living Wage and proposed national pay award.

iv.             Staff in pay band 1, plus the lower end of pay band 2 would get the Cambridge Weighting. Most staff were employed in pay bands 3-6 which were above the Cambridge Weighting figure.

v.              Cambridge Weighting was proposed to come into effect in April 2023. The national pay award would be back dated to April 2022. This was a further increase on the real living wage that would come into effect September 2022. There were considerations of affordability for the City Council.

Resolved (by 5 votes to 0 (and 1 abstention) – unanimous of those able to vote) to:

      i.          Recommend to Council the proposal to increase the Cambridge Weighting to be paid to employees and agency workers to a minimum of £11.00 per hour, with effect from April 2023.

     ii.          Recommend to Council to delegate authority to the Head of Human Resources to update the weightings on each relevant pay point, subject to the limit of £11.00 per hour, depending upon the current hourly rate and the Real Living Wage supplement payable at that time.

   iii.          Note the position on the National Joint Council (NJC) pay offer for 2022 which relates to Bands 1-11 of the City Council’s pay scales, and to receive an update at the meeting.

   iv.          Note the position on the Real Living Wage, the announcement of the 2022/23 rate is expected on 22 September 2022. If available, to receive an update at the meeting.