Portsmouth City Borough Council Employment Committee Meeting

Jan. 25, 2024, 5 p.m.

This is a meeting of the Employment Committee of Portsmouth City Borough Council held on the 25th Jan 2024.

The last meeting was on 4th Mar 2025.

Meeting Status
Confirmed
Agenda Published

Yes

Decisions Published

No

Minutes Published

Yes

Meeting Location

Council Chamber - The Guildhall, Portsmouth

Meeting Recordings

No recordings have been submitted for this meeting yet. If you have one, you can Upload a Recording

Agenda
Item Title Minutes
1 Apologies for Absence

Councillor Charlotte Gerada had offered her apologies for absence.  Councillor Graham Heaney was present as Councillor Gerada's standing deputy.

 

2 Declarations of Members' Interests

None.

 

3 Minutes of the meeting held on 30 November 2023 Minutes 30 November 2023

It was noted that in the copy of the minutes appended to the agenda, Councillor Asghar Shah was listed as being present on 30 November 2023, but he was not in attendance as standing deputy. 

 

Item 7 - Real Living Wage Update (minute no. 28) it was noted that in the penultimate paragraph, Real Living Wage had been abbreviated to RWL rather than RLW.

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 30 November 2023 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record subject to the amendments above.

 

4 Real Living Wage Accreditation Update RLW Update - Jan 2024

Natasha Edmunds, Director of Corporate Services, introduced the report informing members that it provides an updated analysis of the financial impact on the council in view of existing budget pressures, the higher than anticipated increase to National Living Wage (NLW) announced in the Chancellor's autumn 2023 budget, and the increase to Real Living Wage (RLW) announced by the Living Wage Foundation in November 2023.

 

Members questions

In response to members' questions, officers clarified:

·         Portsmouth City Council (PCC) has paid its directly employed staff the Real Living Wage since 2018.

·         Although officers are not aware of the number of employees of PCC contractors affected, modelling for budget setting has been used to calculate the additional cost of requiring contractors to pay RLW to their employees.

·         The 56p per hour difference between NLW and RLW has not been budgeted for and if the decision to implement RLW was taken, the City Council would immediately need to identify and approve savings of £2.5m in the general fund and £200,00 in the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

·         The estimated financial impact of £2m on Adult Social care arising from RLW is additional to any current level of overspending in the service.

 

Members' comments

Councillor Darren Sanders noted that as Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness he would be making decisions relating to the Council's Housing Budget 2024/25 on 26 January 2024.  He commented that that the HRA had budgeted for NLW and that to move to RLW would add £200,000 cost to the service. It was sad that despite aspirations to pay RLW, it was not possible whilst also maintaining financial sustainability and resilience.

  

The Committee RESOLVED to:

1)    Note the update on the financial impact of seeking Real Living Wage accreditation.

2)    Ask that a copy of the Real Living Wage update report be circulated to members of the Cabinet before its meeting on 6 February 2024 in order that the Cabinet may consider the financial impact of Real Living Wage accreditation in the upcoming budget setting process based on the updated information and context provided in the report.

 

Councillor Darren Sanders photo Vice-Chair Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness
Councillor Darren Sanders

Liberal Democrat

Present, as expected

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Councillor Dave Ashmore photo Committee Member Cabinet Member for Environmental Services
Councillor Dave Ashmore

Liberal Democrat

Present, as expected

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Councillor Hugh Mason photo Standing Deputy Cabinet Member for Planning Policy & City Development
Councillor Hugh Mason

Liberal Democrat

Not required

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Councillor Matthew Winnington photo Standing Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Health & Care
Councillor Matthew Winnington

Liberal Democrat

Not required

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Councillor Steve Pitt photo Standing Deputy Leader of the Council (with portfolio responsibility for Culture, Leisure & Economic Development)
Councillor Steve Pitt

Liberal Democrat

Not required

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Councillor Stuart Brown photo Chair
Councillor Stuart Brown

Liberal Democrat

Present, as expected

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Councillor Charlotte Gerada photo Committee Member Leader of the Labour Group
Councillor Charlotte Gerada

Labour

Apologies, sent representative

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Councillor Graham Heaney photo Standing Deputy Deputy Leader of the Labour Group
Councillor Graham Heaney

Labour

Present, as substitute

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Councillor Cal Corkery photo Committee Member Group Leader
Councillor Cal Corkery

Independent

Present, as expected

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Councillor Benedict Swann photo Standing Deputy
Councillor Benedict Swann

Conservative

Not required

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Councillor Ryan Brent photo Standing Deputy Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group
Councillor Ryan Brent

Conservative

Not required

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Councillor Simon Bosher photo Committee Member Leader of the Conservative Group
Councillor Simon Bosher

Conservative

Present, as expected

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Previous Committee Meetings
Meeting

4th Mar 2025

Employment Committee

Meeting

19th Nov 2024

Employment Committee

Meeting

23rd Jul 2024

Employment Committee

Meeting

11th Mar 2024

Employment Committee

Meeting

25th Jan 2024

Employment Committee

Meeting

30th Nov 2023

Employment Committee

Meeting

21st Sep 2023

Employment Committee

Meeting

11th Jul 2023

Employment Committee

Meeting

9th Mar 2023

Employment Committee

Meeting

15th Feb 2023

Employment Committee

Future Committee Meetings
Source
This meeting detail is from Portsmouth City Borough Council website
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