Housing services in Hull could be hit by a staff strike over a pay review that will cut some salaries by 拢10,000.

Les Dobbs, convenor of union GMB, said mistakes the authority made in the review had added to staff鈥檚 concerns over the package, which will also remove bonuses.

Some had been classed under the wrong pay grade so they were under the impression their pay would be cut even though it wouldn鈥檛. Others were told their pay would remain at its current level for five years and then change.

Many of the council鈥檚 housing staff voted on the proposed pay framework in a GMB postal ballot that was due to be counted yesterday.

Dobbs said: 鈥淚t looks like we鈥檙e going to get an overwhelming 鈥榥o鈥� [to the evaluation]. Then we go back to renegotiate. If the council refuses, we鈥檒l look at balloting for industrial action.鈥�

The council is already under government supervision after Audit Commission reports in May 2002 and November 2003 found it was failing to tackle its housing crisis.

Dobbs said: 鈥淗ow are you going to get commitment to improving the housing service by driving down morale like this?

鈥淚 saw grown members of staff in tears; people with long service to the council.鈥�

He said the announcement of the pay review had led to chaos, with some employees handing in resignation notices.

Unison, which also represents housing staff, won鈥檛 ballot members. But its branch secretary in Hull, Rob Batty, said staff were working to rule, and morale had hit rock bottom.

The council began reassessing salaries in 1997 after the government issued guidelines to ensure fair pay rates for council staff across the country.

It has been interviewing staff since 2000 to assess how their jobs should be rated. Of the council鈥檚 14,500 staff, 7540 have been assessed and the rest will be interviewed going forward.

Council chief executive Jan Didrichsen promised to correct the initial oversights.

He said: 鈥淓mployees affected by the new grades will be covered by a generous salary protection package, one of the best in the country, for the next five years. They will not face any reduction in earnings in this period.鈥�

Source

Housing Today