DARLINGTON Borough Council has joined other local authorities from across the region in coming out against controversial plans to introduce regional pay for public sector workers.


Members debated a motion on the issue at a recent full meeting of the council.


Plans for varying rates of pay for public sector workers, such as teachers and nurses, were raised by Chancellor George Osborne earlier this year.


Earlier this week, a TUC report revealed that the North-East economy could miss out to the tune of more than £700m a year if plans for the policy are progressed.

The debate in Darlington was triggered by Labour councillor Linda Hughes, who introduced the motion.


It read: “Regional or local public sector pay would have a harmful effect across the North-East.
 

“It will make it harder for schools and other public services to recruit and retain good quality professionals, who could earn more for doing the same job elsewhere.”

There are almost 14,000 public sector workers in Darlington.
Coun Hughes argued that regional pay would drastically reduce their spending power and have a negative knock-on impact on the private sector.


The council is to writer to Mr Osborne, as well as chief secretary to the treasury Danny Alexander, stating its opposition to the plans.


There was widespread support for Coun Hughes’ motion among the council’s ruling Labour group, with many Liberal Democrat members also supporting it, despite their party’s stance in the coalition Government.


However, most of the council’s Conservative group abstained, arguing that the motion was irrelevant.

Tory councillor Ian Galletley described the motion as an “end of term special” and asked: “What is the likelihood of any such motion making any difference whatsoever?”


He said plans for regional pay were “extremely unlikely” to proceed in their current format.


Conservative group leader Heather Scott added: “Nothing is set in stone, there are discussions taking place on this issue and the reason that we are abstaining is that, at this moment in time, this motion is irrelevant.”


Coun David Lyonette, Labour, said: “A reduction in wages means a reduction in money flow and a reduction in money flow would affect all of us eventually.”


Other local authorities in the North-East to have come out against regional pay include Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton and Newcastle councils.