Group Leader Roger Harmer answers the question. Equal Pay - what now?

We are now sadly past the point of looking at where cuts and savings can be made to keep the City afloat.

Birmingham Labour admitted defeat when the section 114 notice was published – effectively waving a white flag in the direction of Whitehall and stopping all non-essential spend. Their failure to pay Council staff fairly since 2017 is the main cause of this disaster and we must be laser focused on putting it right.

The crucial thing now is to stop the bleed. Currently, every single minute that goes by, the Council racks up around £300 of extra Equal Pay liability. We can’t even begin to sort the mess out until we stop haemorrhaging cash.  That is the number one priority. If we were in power, we would be pulling every lever possible to get the job evaluation process completed and implemented.  At the moment, the Council’s target to do this is April 2025, and that’s simply far too long.

Only then, when we have stopped the bleed, will be back in the situation where we have at choices about how money is spent. Statutory duties are non-negotiable and must be delivered efficiently and with a focus on the needs of residents. Thereafter we would look at harnessing the power of our communities; developing the services they prioritise, rather than delivering yet more prestige projects in the City Centre. 

Essentially, we would focus on getting the basics right. Sadly, this is something that Birmingham Labour have never done.