Councils have been warned against undermining the ‘fundamental integrity’ of national talks by agreeing local deals as pressure grows on pay.
In a bulletin to the sector, Local Government Association deputy chief executive, Sarah Pickup, said she was aware some councils were considering making an up-front payment before the national award had been finalised and advised ‘very strongly against any such payments being made’.
However, Ms Pickup warned of the ‘legal risks of making interim payments’ and said ‘pre-empting a final pay award also leaves councils vulnerable to questions being asked by auditors as to why expenditure has been unnecessarily incurred in the absence of a national collective agreement’.
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