Plaid Cymru representatives have called on Rhondda Cynon Taf Council to reconsider the changes to terms and conditions of staff, after receiving an open letter from workers.
The letter states “the way in which the Council has gone about achieving the required efficiencies is grossly unfair,” adding: “The reality is that the lowest paid are the biggest area of employees affected and are worried sick about the future.”
The letter was penned after staff were urged to take significant reductions in their terms and conditions as the local authority attempts to tackle its budget black hole. The changes, which will affect some of the lowest paid employees at the council, were drawn up by council officers after the Labour cabinet delegated their powers to them.
Before Christmas, more than 10,000 local authority employees were threatened with a lock-out unless they accepted lower terms and conditions. The council has since stepped back from a stance the GMB union likened to “gunboat diplomacy.”
South Wales Central AM Leanne Wood, a former Rhondda councilor, said: ““I have been contacted by constituents in recent weeks who are extremely concerned they will no longer be able to afford their mortgage payments or pay their bills because of the drastic changes to pay and conditions being steamrollered through by RCT.
“The council leader has been keen to trumpet how these changes will save jobs, but the reality is that after some of the lowest paid people in the local authority will have a reduction in their terms and conditions, it will mean that for some, their jobs will no longer be financially viable.
“Many families will be driven into poverty by this move. It is deeply unfair that the changes will have such a dramatic affect those who are on the lowest salaries. Why haven’t the Labour councillors shown leadership in this financial crisis by aiming to make savings in the upper echelons of the local authority before those at the bottom of the scale were hit?
“By delegating powers to the officers at RCT, the council leader gave them the green light to tear up the contracts of thousands of loyal and hardworking workers and that is exactly what has happened.
“Why didn’t RCT take a leaf out of Caerphilly Council’s book and reduce some of the highest paid jobs in the local authority in order to save money? If other councils have managed to avoid such draconian action, why not RCT?”
Plaid’s Finance spokesperson Chris Franks AM for South Wales Central said: “Plaid is very unhappy about the way loyal staff have been treated. There needs to be proper consultations with trade unions and the workforce. It seems to me that the lower paid are being hit.
“However the Directors and the Cabinet Members won’t feel much pain. There is a lack of fairness when some of the chief officers earn more than the Prime Minister. The Labour leadership of the council seem to be happy to follow the line of the Conservative – Liberal Westminster government.
“RCT Council bosses need to come up with a plan that protects front line services without hitting the pay of the ordinary workers. Plaid controlled councils are able to cope. Why can Labour not come up with a plan?”
Councillor Pauline Jarman, who leads the Plaid group on Rhondda Cynon Taf Council added: “I have not been party to the decision made regarding staff pay and conditions; that opportunity was denied when Labour councillors decided that the Chief Executive should negotiate and implement these changes.
“I know that we now risk losing the confidence of staff that normally go the extra mile in serving our communities because they feel very devalued. I do sympathise with individuals who suffer a pay cut as a consequence of these changes and I will be speaking up in the council meeting on February 23.”
