Bridgend Council - the Pressure Mounts On Labour

Do you think this guy would be so silent, if it was a Plaid Council?

A week ago, I attended a public meeting called by Plaid Cymru's Bethan Jenkins AM, where a packed meeting of Council workers expressed in no uncertain terms their disgust at their treatment, by their employer Bridgend Council. Since then, there has been some publicity created by the Glamorgan Gazette (give thanks that there is still some local media in Wales) and through Plaid, in the hope that Labour would be embarrassed enough to take a step back and re-consider the mess they have created, in yet another one of their Councils.

Previously, they have caused consternation in two of their other Councils in relation to job evaluation and single status decisions, namely Neath Port Talbot and RCT. However, the treatment of Bridgend's workers has sunk to new depths of incompetence and buck passing that I genuinely never thought I would see from a Labour Council in Wales. First of all, please read to two press stories via the links below, then I would be obliged if you read on as I untangle the weasil words from Labour.

 http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/bridgend-maesteg/2011/11/10/council-leader-accused-of-washing-his-hands-over-pay-cut-dispute-91466-29749619/

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/11/14/plaid-in-bully-boy-tactics-attack-on-labour-91466-29770727/

(with gratitude for Media Wales covering this very important issue)

In response to the Council's defence, I reiterate that Bridgend is by far the worst offender in mismanaging job evaluation and single status and base this on the following: -

• I know of no other Welsh Council not to offer back pay to workers who have been underpaid
• I know of no other Welsh Council not to offer any pay protection for workers facing a pay cut
• I know of no other Welsh Council to remove all payments for overtime and anti-social hours
• I know of no other Welsh Council to advise workers who face huge pay cuts, to visit the Citizen's Advice Bureau for help!
• I know of no other Welsh Council to threaten a pay cut of up to 50% on some workers, due to the changes proposed

Bridgend. You are the very worst offender. Nobody else comes close.

I am not going to claim on this blog that job evaluation and single status are easy issues to deal with, especially at a time when such savage cuts are being made to public services. It has meant that many have faced pay cuts and many more will do over the coming months. However, this is all the more reason to give as much support to your workforce, at a time when they are facing a 3 year wage freeze and a potential 3 to 4.4% pay cut as a result of the proposed pension changes. The 'Greater London' evaluation model used by Bridgend has in fact been used by all but one of all Welsh Authorities, yet no other Welsh Council has acted in the manner that Bridgend has. However, there is a pattern of behaviour similar with another, namely Labour controlled Rhondda Cynon Taf. Both have claimed that they had to take drastic action in order to avoid compulsory redundancies and in a second meeting of minds, both officially handed over the responsibility for job evaluation and single status to their senior officers; I assume under the impression that this would shelter them from any resulting criticism. Of course, RCT have also threatened their workers with the sack unless they sign up to lower wages and terms and conditions of employment, so the fact that Bridgend have yet to officially stoop this low must be one saving grace!

One other defence that both Labour controlled Bridgend and RCT frequently use is that their drastic actions have avoided compulsory redundancies, 'unlike other Authorities'. I would be obliged if Labour clarify which Welsh Authority has resorted to mass compulsory redundancies through not following their callous actions. Let me save them the bother - NONE. In England, you may well find Councils carrying out such actions but not in Wales - so even their one potentially legitimate line of defence holds no water.

Finally, Labour have accused Plaid of politicising this issue as if that was some bad thing. Well, if it means humiliating Labour into backpedaling and offering more aid to public sector workers feeling demoralised and persecuted then yes - guilty as charged. Whatever it takes to see public sector workers in Wales treated with the respect that they deserve, and nothing less. How ironic that a generation ago, Labour may well have said and done the same thing. How times have changed.