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News
David Woods, 23 Jan 2012
Staff at Harrow Council are to be asked their views on new terms and conditions to help reduce costs at the north west London authority.
The authority has to find £62 million of savings over four years. To deliver savings without the blanket pay cuts or additional redundancies seen at other local authorities across the country, more modern, flexible working practices are being proposed in Harrow.
On Thursday (19 January) the Council’s Cabinet approved the consultation after failing to reach collective agreement with the trade unions.
Staff will be asked for their views on changes, which will enhance existing flexible working arrangements. The move would help the Council to break away from the culture of nine to five, Monday to Friday working, which restricts the way the Council delivers services.
It would mean employees, where appropriate, could work at weekends or in the evening at no additional cost to the council, to help balance their work and home lives.
Staff will also be asked to comment on plans to reduce senior managers’ pay, raise minimum pay levels to the London Living Wage and introduce a training allowance for apprentices.
Cllr Graham Henson, portfolio holder for performance, customer services and corporate services on Harrow Council, said: “While other councils have cut pay across the board, we want to give our staff a choice and see how improved terms and conditions may allow people to better balance their work and personal lives.
“By removing the nine to five, Monday to Friday culture, they would also ensure we have a more modern and efficient workforce, that can provide services when our residents need them most.”
2 comments on this article |
Peter A Hunter 24 Jan 2012
Public services are notorious for the inefficiencies created by the massively over engineered public service administration. When cuts or efficiencies are required the normal strategy is for the administrators, who are the ones who don't add value, to decide what cuts are going to be made to the people who do add value, the people who deliver the services. The result is that when the services the public have paid for are compromised the administrators blame the people who deliver the services without ever acknowledging the reason they can't deliver is because the administrators have created conditions for them that makes delivery impossible. Meanwhile the administrators continue to live from the public purse while the service delivery becomes increasingly difficult and the people who deliver them become increasingly disenchanted. Harrow Council appear to be taking the first step, asking the people who deliver the services how they can be delivered more efficiently. It will be no surprise to hear them say that they need more equipment and facilities and that they can be paid for by dismantling the administration that has been making it increasingly difficult and expensive for them to deliver their services. Whether the administrators of the delivery are prepared to implement these solutions is another matter. Having asked the question does not mean that they are prepared to listen to the answer. Peter A Hunter
Roy Cleaver 01 Mar 2012
I've worked with lots of Councils over the last 20+ years and everyone has had some sort of flexible working scheme in place. Never so flexible as it could be but always valued by all. The strange thing has been that without exception, they have continued to pay enhancements for shift working, working after 5pm or early morning and Saturday working. The potential savings are very significant if truly flexible working is introduced across all services but with reductions in the range of pay enhancements. Don't believe the usual argument that care services must be exempt; if done properly they can benefit from flexible working.
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