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Question from: County Councillor Amanda Jenner Subject: Salary for recycling workforce
Question:
As the portfolio holder, please can you provide a comparison of pay levels/ salary rates for our recycling and waste collection workforce against what other neighbouring local authorities in Wales and along our borders pay this workforce sector. You have previously provided information on the range of salary across Wales, showing that Powys is in the middle of this range. However, is there a concern that we are not competitive with our immediate neighbouring Councils?
Given that recycling and waste collection problems and delays continue week on week, causing difficulties for many of our residents, can you confirm that Powys’s pay scales are as competitive as they can be in order to attract and retain people to work in this sector.
Minutes: Response by the Cabinet Member:
05/01/23 Update as a result of enquiries about pay and terms and conditions:
Further to my initial response, as detailed below, the HR team have undertaken some further research into the pay and terms and conditions offered by employers in the wider region (particularly in the private sector).
This has provided reassurance that our rates of pay are comparable, with the Council’s rates offered being higher in some cases and not as competitive in others.
Furthermore where the organisations have published their fuller conditions of employment, the Council again appears competitive.
Paul Bradshaw’s colleague, Gemma Gabriel (Professional Lead Human Resource Management and Development), has been supporting HTR in their good plans to address the recruitment challenge and can discuss this with you if you would like.
Initial response by the Cabinet Member published on 3 November 2022:
Thank you for your recent question, which has been referred to Paul Bradshaw Head of Workforce and Organisational Development. Paul has asked for one of his colleagues to contact our neighbouring local authorities to undertake the research you outline. It is anticipated that this will take a number of weeks and Paul will share the information with you and the service as soon as this is available.
Meanwhile officers in the service have provided a helpful update, in confirming that they have not been losing staff to neighbouring authorities, rather their experience has been that a number of staff who live outside of the County have decided to take up employment closer to home, mainly due to the cost of fuel in commuting to their roles in Powys. Officers are also pleased that whilst the service, like all local authorities, is facing a national recruitment challenge, a recent recruitment campaign has proven successful with additional staff having been appointed, which will help to improve the service delivered to the people of Powys.
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