Frozen pay for 11 years - any similar experiences?

Bananas_1

Hi all

Me and a few of my colleagues work in the public health sector and our pay has been frozen since April 2013 (11 years this April!).

We went through an organisational change where a new pay band structure was put into place which was less favourable than the one we’re on.  We were therefore given the choice of staying on the current pay bands and terms and conditions we had signed up to or move across to the new pay structure which would have meant an eventual pay cut. Obviously, we all stayed put.

In the last few years there have been several pay rises in the public sector but we’ve not been entitled to any of them. As you can imagine it’s been very demoralising to see our colleagues on the new pay scales get an increase when we’ve not been entitled to anything. We all feel hugely discriminated against. Outside of our organisation the pay bands we are on have increased in pay significantly.

I have spoken with a solicitor and been advised that we have a good case for claiming unlawful deduction of wages. He advised that the organisation cannot say that we will indefinitely not be entitled to any pay rises, however, the organisation have said this to us. He also advised that as the pay bands we are on are still ‘live’ the organisation is bound by the terms of the pay bands and our pay should be in line with the national agreement.

The solicitor also advised raising an internal grievance which will likely not get us anywhere and then move onto taking the organisation to the employment court.

I wanted to get some other opinions and if anyone has been through a similar situation where their pay has been frozen and they challenged their organisation on this.  Would appreciate any experience/advice you can offer.

Thank you

DE_612183

Do you work for a private company enaged in the public sector - or do you work for a public sector organisation?

LightFlare

Ask your union rep 

BoGoF

If the Union thought you had a case they would be doing something about it? At the end of the day you opted out of the new arrangement.

Similar things happen across the Public Sector/Civil Service but normally there is an option to opt in at some future point? That won't get you any historical pay rises but should future ones, if the option to opt in is there?

tacpot12

Are you being paid less than the National Minimum wage? 

Bananas_1

DE_612183 said:

Do you work for a private company enaged in the public sector - or do you work for a public sector organisation?

I work for the public sector 

Bananas_1

LightFlare said:

Ask your union rep 

Myself and colleagues were in a union for several years. We made several attempts to find out who our rep was and if anyone could help us. We were constantly ignored. 

When I cancelled my membership years later they managed to call me then! 

In hindsight I should have made a formal complaint at the time. 

Bananas_1

tacpot12 said:

Are you being paid less than the National Minimum wage? 

No I'm not 

Cloth_of_Gold

Are you on mark time pay until the new pay scale 'catches up' with the what you are on?

Bananas_1

BoGoF said:

If the Union thought you had a case they would be doing something about it? At the end of the day you opted out of the new arrangement.

Similar things happen across the Public Sector/Civil Service but normally there is an option to opt in at some future point? That won't get you any historical pay rises but should future ones, if the option to opt in is there?

Please see my above comment regarding the union. 

I opted out as I would have been worse off financially. 

We are able to opt in to the new pay structure but it would mean a pay cut in the long run. My salary is higher than the new structure therefore my salary would remain frozen for a period of time until they aligned. If they don't align after the frozen period lapses my pay would drop to the bottom of the pay band on the new scale.

By opting in I wouldn't be entitled to any future pay increases. 

Bananas_1

Cloth_of_Gold said:

Are you on mark time pay until the new pay scale 'catches up' with the what you are on?

I would be if I move over to the new pay bands.