Agenda item

A period of up to one hour is allocated to consider the motions on notice.  This may only be extended with the agreement of the Council.

 

The Chairman advised that, prior to the meeting, the Group Leaders had agreed to a number of motions being withdrawn and the order that the remaining would be considered had been amended.  The Chairman thanked the Group Leaders for their co-operation in this matter and he hoped that this would continue for future meetings.

 

Rough Sleepers in the District

Councillor M. Thompson advised Council that he had withdrawn his motion as he had spoken to the relevant Portfolio Holder and was happy to work directly with her on this matter.

 

Strategic Planning

Councillor S. Baxter advised that following discussions she had also agreed to withdraw her motion and a meeting with all Group Leaders and the relevant officers would be arranged to discuss the concerns that she had raised.

 

Car Parks

As previously discussed, Councillor S. Hughes also confirmed that she was happy for her notice of motion to be withdrawn.

 

Climate Change

Members considered the following notice of motion from Councillor S. Douglas.

 

“In light of the threat of Climate Change, this Council should take practical steps to combat its consequences.

 

Therefore, we call upon the Cabinet to carry out a full analysis of land in the ownership of the Council which would be available for the planting of wild flowers and trees.”

 

The motion was proposed by Councillor Douglas and seconded by Councillor H. Rone-Clarke.

 

Without debate and with the agreement of Councillor Douglas, it was agreed that this matter would be referred to the Cabinet for further consideration.

 

Defending our district against flooding

Members considered the following notice of motion from Councillor J. King.

 

“Council notes the considerable damage and disruption that recent floods have caused in our community and the likelihood of further problems as a result of climate change.

Council resolves to task the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with reviewing the resources made available for flooding prevention in our community with a view to making more investment available if necessary from 2021/22.”

 

The motion was proposed by Councillor King and seconded by Councillor R. Hunter.

 

It was noted that this matter had tentatively raised at the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held on 13^th January when Members had been in agreement to it being a subject worthy of more detailed scrutiny.  With this in mind and with the agreement of Councillor King, it was agreed that the matter be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Board for further consideration.

 

Show Pride in our LGBT Community

Members considered the following notice of motion from Councillor R. Hunter.

 

“Council notes that each year a Pride festival is organised in Worcester to recognise and celebrate our LGBT community. 

 

Council believes that as a Worcestershire authority we should help to enhance the visibility of this important work. 

 

Council resolves to fly the Rainbow Flag at the Parkside Building on Worcester Pride weekend which this year falls on 19-20 September and each year thereafter. Council further resolves to publicise our support for the event.”

 

The motion was proposed by Councillor Hunter and seconded by Councillor K. May.  Councillor Hunter thanked Councillor May for her co-operation in this matter and was happy for the motion to be put to the vote without debate.  Councillor H. Rone-Clarke highlighted that there would also be a Bromsgrove Pride event and requested that the Rainbow Flag also be flown for this event.  Members were happy for this to happen.

 

On being put to the vote the Motion was carried.

 

Local Government Officers’ Pay

 

Members considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor P. McDonald:

 

“Council notes

 

Local Government has endured central government funding cuts of nearly 50% since 2010.

 

Between 2010 and 2020, councils will have lost 60p out of every £1 they have received from central government. The 2019 LGA survey of council finances found that 1 in 3 councils fear they will run out of funding to provide even their statutory, legal duties by 2022/23. This number rises to almost two thirds of councils by 2024/2025 or later.

 

The LGA estimates councils will face a funding gap of £8 billion by 2025.

Faced with these cuts from central government, the local government workforce has

endured years of pay restraint with the majority of pay points losing 22 per cent of their value since 2009/10.

 

 At the same time as seeing their pay go down in real terms, workers experience ever increasing workloads and persistent job insecurity. Across the UK, an estimated 876,000 jobs have been lost in local government since June 2010 – a reduction of 30 per cent. Local government has arguably been hit by more severe job losses than any other part of the public sector.

 

There has been a disproportionate impact on women, with women making up more than three quarters of the local government workforce.

 

Our workers are public service super heroes. They keep our communities clean, look after those in need and keep our towns and cities running. Without the professionalism and dedication of our staff, the council services our residents rely on would not be deliverable.

 

Government funding has been cut to the extent that a proper pay rise could result in a reduction in local government services. The government needs to take responsibility and fully fund increases in pay; it should not put the burden on local authorities whose funding has been cut to the bone.

 

This Council:

 

·         asks the Cabinet in the context of the budget setting process to support the pay claim submitted by GMB UNISON and Unite on behalf of council and school workers for a £10 per hour minimum wage and a 10 per cent uplift across all other pay points in 2020/21 and

 

·         calls on the Local Government Association to make urgent representations to central government to fund the NJC pay claim

 

·         write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to call for a pay increase for local government workers to be funded with new money from central government.”

 

The Motion was proposed by Councillor McDonald and seconded by Councillor S. Douglas.

 

In proposing the Motion Councillor McDonald advised that the motion was self explanatory and his concern was that with constant cut backs and staff being expected to carry out more duties that people were being expected to get pay on a reduced pay in real time terms.    He highlighted that over the last ten years 60 pence out of every £1 received from Central Government had been cut.  Local Government employees were some of the lowest paid workers in the public sectors and Councils were being expected to be run on a shoestring and relied upon the hard work of its employees.  It was therefore important to pay its staff a decent fair wage.  The urged the Council to support his motion and to write to the Secretary of State to ask for this to be funded by new money in order to recognise the loyalty of its employees.

 

Councillor G. Denaro, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Enabling responded that currently the Council paid its entire staff the Foundation Living Wage of £9.30 and currently none of its staff were paid less than £9.74.  Members were reminded that the Council was part of the nationally (NJC) agreed pay scales which resulted from negotiations between the employer and the unions to ensure all of its employees had an award that was consistent with their colleagues across Local Government.  In addition, the Council had not looked to make any detrimental changes to terms and conditions to enable savings to be delivered which a number of Councils had done.

 

To fund an increase of 10% to all employees earning over £10 would incur costs of around £900k.  The Council currently had a 2% increase built into the budget which was in line with other Local Government bodies across the Country.  Should this change through the NJC negotiations the Council would honour any percentage uplift agreed.

 

During the ensuing debate Members discussed how such matters had been addressed by other Councils and that previous pay increased received had been below inflation.  Members also discussed the need to support its staff and to encourage new people to join the Council.  Concerns were raised though as to who would be expected to pay for such an increase and the importance of support from Central Government in doing so.  The importance of paying staff a fair wage was reiterated and whether such an increase would apply to all staff and how such an increase could be made viable.

 

Councillor Baxter asked for it to be made clear in the minutes that she was not opposed to a 10% increase for some staff, but that she could not agree to this being across the board.

 

In summing up, Councillor McDonald urged Members to support his Motion and the staff of this Council.

 

In accordance with Procedure Rule 18.3 a recorded vote was taken and the voting was as follows:

 

For the motion:         Councillors Douglas, Hughes, Hunter, King, Mallett, McDonald, Rone-Clarke and Thompson (8)

 

Against the motion: Councillors Colella, Deeming, Denaro, Glass, Jones, Kent, Kriss, May, Middleton, Sherrey, Spencer, Thomas, Till, Webb and Whittaker (15)

 

Abstentions:  Councillors Baxter, English, Hotham (3)

 

On being put to the vote the Motion was lost.

 

Parcels of Land

 

Members considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor H. Rone-Clarke:

 

Across the district, there are parcels of land which neither the County, District Councils or BDHT are willing to claim responsibility for. This means that, where there is casework relating to this land, often this can stagnate and residents can be left without answers.

 

This council calls upon the leader, alongside the relevant portfolio holders and officers, to meet with representatives from BDHT and the County Council to, once and for all, establish the ownership of all disputed land across the district, as well as an action plan to resolve disputes for future land which is highlighted.

 

Furthermore, we call upon the aforementioned to work with Councillors to identify where there are questions of land ownership within their own wards.

 

The Motion was proposed by Councillor Rone-Clarke and seconded by Councillor L. Mallett.

 

In proposing the Motion Councillor Rone-Clarke advised that he believed that this was a matter which all Members came across and sympathised where there was a piece of land that nobody took responsibility for.  He hoped that this would bring all the appropriate service providers together to come to a proper decision.  Councillor Rone-Clarke suggested that there were many ways in which these pieces of land could be put to much better for example community gardens.

 

On being put to the vote the Motion was carried.