Swansea Council is to open negotiations with unions on proposals to harmonise terms and conditions for its 8,000 staff.
The discussions with the unions follow a meeting of the Council on December 9 that heard terms and conditions among staff were complex, inconsistent and outdated.
Mary Jones, Cabinet Member for Business Improvement and Efficiency, said: “As a Council we have a legal requirement to have a pay and grading structure that’s equal and fair for all our staff.
“Our hard-working staff are the backbone of the Council and it’s very important that pay and grading is fair across the board.
“Our existing terms and conditions have been introduced over a period of 40 years and, as a result, they are complex, inconsistent and outdated.
“Some of our terms and conditions apply to all staff such as sickness pay and holidays, but others such as extra allowances and bonus payments only apply to certain groups of staff.
“We need to harmonise our terms and conditions so that employees are treated the same, regardless of their specific job.”
The proposal does not affect teachers who are employed directly by their school governing body.
In a letter being sent to all staff the Council has given a detailed list of the terms and conditions which will be subject to negotiations. Some, such as sickness pay, leave and the working week, affect everyone. Others, such as bonus payments, only affect certain groups of workers.
Cllr Jones said: “It’s important to recognise that no decisions have been made. The Council believes by having open and transparent negotiations with the unions we will be able to achieve an outcome that reflects our determination that the pay and grading structure is fair to everyone who works for the Council.
