Staff in tears over 'pay cut'

Devastated Staffordshire County Council workers fled their offices in tears after learning they could face pay cuts of up to £10,000 a year.

Hundreds of workers have received letters outlining a new pay structure following a job evaluation exercise.

Before the announcement, council bosses said they envisaged 45 per cent of salaries would go up, 30 per cent stay the same and 25 per cent go down.

But the majority of employees said their salaries were going to be slashed by at least £4,000.

Devastated Staffordshire County Council workers fled their offices in tears after learning they could face pay cuts of up to £10,000 a year.

Hundreds of workers have received letters outlining a new pay structure following a job evaluation exercise.

Before the announcement, council bosses said they envisaged 45 per cent of salaries would go up, 30 per cent stay the same and 25 per cent go down.

But the majority of employees said their salaries were going to be slashed by at least £4,000.

Their pay will be protected for three years but decrease by 10 per cent each year after that.

County council bosses maintained the pay scheme was only a proposal and the final decision would not be made until early next year.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said she was set to lose £4,000, while her friend, who was a single mother of two children, had been told it could be £7,000.

Holding back tears, she said: "It's horrendous. We didn't expect to be hit as hard as this. It's a complete shock.

"I'm thinking of leaving before the three years are out, I could earn more in Tesco than they will be paying me here."

Leanda Reeves, aged 38, of Burntwood, is an Occupational Therapist working at the Lichfield Area Office Disability Team.

She stands to lose £3,000 and said: "I've worked really hard for 13 years to get to the scale I'm on. I feel very bitter and upset."

A Stafford couple, who both work for the council, said they had just bought a house and would struggle.

The man said: "People have lost between £4,000 and £10,000."

Job evaluation is a national agreement aiming to harmonise pay and terms and conditions across a number of different workforce groups and to address issues of equal pay.

A spokesman for Staffordshire County Council said: "This is far from a done deal and we continue to comprehensively consult with our employees and the unions to take their views and findings back to cabinet early next year before any final decision is made."

By Jo Mason