Minutes:
(Councillor Thirlaway left the meeting at this point)
It was moved by Councillor Davis, and seconded by Councillor Jamieson that:
Information from the Living Wage Foundation shows that there are 28 organisations in North Tyneside that pay their employees a Real Living Wage, which is defined as £12.00 per hour. North Tyneside Council is not one of them though it is acknowledged that the Council is working towards this goal.
There are other Councils in the North-East that have decided to become an accredited Real Living Wage employer, including both Newcastle City Council and Sunderland City Council.
Council resolves to request that the Elected Mayor and Cabinet:
1. applauds the work of the Tyne and Wear Citizens Group who have been campaigning on the Real Living Wage in the North-East for several years;
2. requests Officers to explore the financial implications of adopting the Real living wage and how these costs may be factored into the budgeting process in future years; and
3. agrees to encourage other employers in North Tyneside to also become an accredited real living wage employer.
An amendment was moved by Councillor Carl Johnson and seconded by Councillor Samuel as follows:
Remove the last sentence in the first paragraph, and insert the below paragraphs after this point.
‘Notes North Tyneside council at the time of the last pay award was paying its staff on the lowest pay scale £11.59 above the level of the then real living wage level of £10.90 which was the living wage for financial year 23/24.
Notes that on conclusion of the current nationally negotiated pay award the lowest paid North Tyneside staff will once again be paid at least the real living wage with all payments backdated for the year 24/25.
The quirk exists because the Real living wage foundation releases their wage in October while councils pay awards begin in April.’
A named vote on the amendment was requested by two members present.
Votes for the amendment:
Councillors L Bartoli, L Bones, B Burdis, K Clark, D Cox, S Cox, N Craven, J Cruddas, E Darke, C Davis, S Day, D Drummond, P Earley, M Fox, S Graham. I Grayson, M Hall, J Harrison, Janet Hunter, C Johnson, H Johnson, J Johnsson, C Johnston, J Kirwan, F Lott, W Lott, L Marshall, I McAlpine, P McIntyre, A McMullen, J Montague, J Mudzingwa, T Mulvenna, T Neira, A Newman, P Oliver, R O’Keefe, J O'Shea, S Phillips, B Pickard, N Redfearn, W Samuel, O Scargill, J Shaw, A Spowart, J Walker, J Wallace, M Wilson.
The amendment was approved unanimously.
An amendment was moved by Councillor Bones and seconded by Councillor Bartoli as follows:
To add ‘If the Council adopts the real living wage,’ to the start of request 3.
Votes for the amendment:
Councillors L Bartoli, L Bones, B Burdis, K Clark, D Cox, S Cox, N Craven, J Cruddas, E Darke, C Davis, S Day, D Drummond, P Earley, M Fox, S Graham. I Grayson, M Hall, J Harrison, Janet Hunter, C Johnson, H Johnson, J Johnsson, C Johnston, J Kirwan, F Lott, W Lott, L Marshall, I McAlpine, P McIntyre, A McMullen, J Montague, J Mudzingwa, T Mulvenna, T Neira, A Newman, P Oliver, R O’Keefe, J O'Shea, S Phillips, B Pickard, N Redfearn, W Samuel, O Scargill, J Shaw, A Spowart, J Walker, J Wallace, M Wilson.
The amendment was approved unanimously.
A named vote on the substantive motion was requested by two members present.
Votes for the amendment:
Councillors L Bartoli, L Bones, B Burdis, K Clark, D Cox, S Cox, N Craven, J Cruddas, E Darke, C Davis, S Day, D Drummond, P Earley, M Fox, S Graham. I Grayson, M Hall, J Harrison, Janet Hunter, C Johnson, H Johnson, J Johnsson, C Johnston, J Kirwan, F Lott, W Lott, L Marshall, I McAlpine, P McIntyre, A McMullen, J Montague, J Mudzingwa, T Mulvenna, T Neira, A Newman, P Oliver, R O’Keefe, J O'Shea, S Phillips, B Pickard, N Redfearn, W Samuel, O Scargill, J Shaw, A Spowart, J Walker, J Wallace, M Wilson.
The amendment was approved unanimously.
(Councillor Thirlaway rejoined the meeting at this point)