HARLOW Council has agreed to back job evaluations for HTS workers which is part of a pay dispute between HTS and Unite members.

The council’s Local Authority Trading Company, HTS, have put forward a job evaluation scheme proposal to Unite. If agreed HTS will start the job evaluation exercise over the coming weeks. HTS provides a range of environmental and housing maintenance services on behalf of the council.

The council’s Chief Executive, Andrew Bramidge has made a commitment to HTS that the council will work with them to ensure that the outcomes of the job evaluations are funded. He said:

“Harlow Council, as shareholder of the company, expects HTS to honour the outcome of the evaluation and we are committed to working with HTS to ensure that it is funded. It is important that HTS staff are on the right pay scales for the jobs they do, and the job evaluation process will identify this.”

Negotiations brokered by ACAS have been ongoing between HTS and Unite to resolve the pay dispute and further meetings have taken place.

Nationally negotiations have also been taking place on a pay increase for council workers in the current financial year (from April 2023 onwards). The national employers have made a full and final offer of £1,925 on all pay scales which is in addition to the same pay increase council and HTS workers received last year. Consultation with the trade unions is continuing at a national level and the unions are consulting their members. The final national pay increase would be on top of any changes to pay grades at HTS following the job evaluation exercise.