Town hall staff who claim they are owed thousands of pounds for working weekends are fuming after bosses offered them a cut-price deal.
Cash-strapped Manchester council bosses told dozens of workers in the hospitality and trading services department they can have just 20 per cent of the extra cash they say they have earned.
One affected worker, who staff town hall functions, said town hall chiefs were describing the offer as ‘fair in the current financial circumstances’.
Up to 20 employees have lodged formal grievances over the dispute, which concerns payments for working Saturdays and Sundays. About 70 workers are affected overall.
The workers say a clause was due to be written into their contracts four years ago stating that anyone who worked 26 or more weekends could be paid time and a half. But the clause was never formally added – even though they worked on the basis they would get the money.
Staff brought a retrospective claim for the payments and have been locked in talks with bosses for 18 months.
The council described the offer – one-fifth of the total – as ‘reasonable’ and said it hoped for an ‘amicable’ solution.
But one worker, who did not want to be named, said: “They’re saying that’s fair in the current financial circumstances but it’s not – it’s an insult, especially considering how long we’ve waited.
“They wouldn’t expect us to work 20 per cent of the time for full wages so why should it work the other way round?
“If it was a half-decent offer, I think people might be a bit more amenable to negotiating, but this is a joke and I am now looking at bringing lawyers in.
“We should never have had to fight for the money in the first place.”
A council spokesman said: “We have received a retrospective claim from a number of staff based at the town hall which relates to payments to which they believe they are entitled. These relate to occasions in the past where the staff involved claim to have worked outside current working hours.
“The council has made what we consider to be a reasonable offer to resolve this matter and it is currently being presented to staff by their representatives.
“We hope to resolve this matter as swiftly and as amicably as possible.”
Council staff threaten to sue in weekend pay row
June 30, 2010
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Skinflints! If they won't pay then don't work.
The NHS is similar in getting free labour from staff who turn in early and leave late to do handovers.
I'm sure Bernstein,Leese and the other suited and booted cronies would do exactly the same...........then again,maybe not!!!!!
If these employees have time sheets signed by there superior Manchester Council have no option but to pay up. If they have no time sheets who's to say what they worked.
"The workers say a clause was due to be written into their contracts four years ago stating that anyone who worked 26 or more weekends could be paid time and a half. But the clause was never formally added – even though they worked on the basis they would get the money"
No, you worked on the basis that you might get the money and now your not so you knew this might have happened all along.
Maybe Bernstien could forfeit his £19000 bonus for the voting debacle to go towards compensating these employees who have been screwed by the council,reasonable don't you think just like the council's offer.
Every company gets free labour from people who turn up early and leave late and working in the private sector I can safely say that the public sector don't know what late is. Certainly when I phone Manchester City Planning department at 4.55pm the phones are already on voicemail.
Come and work for my firm. You get the same basic pay no matter what day or hour, be it last thing Sunday night or first thing Monday morning.
Not surprisingly, no-one ever volunteers so there's never any arguments.
If these people are being "advised" by union reps,then they will end up out of pocket big time
as the statement in the story says",they wouldnt expect us to work 20% of time we are paid" the problem is they dont but lots of public sector workers do.
You're right Minnie. these guys need lawyers not union "reps". How these people can claim to "represent" anyone excpet the council bosses is beyond me. Hang in there guys, keep fighting, its YOUR money! Ask Sir Howard for a percentage of his pay rise!