Council staff set to lose free parking
8:58am Wednesday 5th October 2011 in News
ABOUT 650 Bolton Council staff are to lose their free parking passes as part of changes to local authority workers’ terms and conditions.
Another 170 staff will lose their essential car user (ECU) allowance — about £900 a year — although 900 workers will keep their ECU and another 80 will now receive the same allowance.
The ECU allowance is only given to staff who need a car for work and travel regularly inside and outside the borough.
Staff who have lost their free parking and others who must use their car will now be able to pay for parking passes “at cost”
and will also get tax relief — meaning a 40 per cent discount.
A year pass at one of the new NCP multi-storey car parks costs £520, but they will pay £312. A parking pass at an outof- town car park costs £360 with the reduced rate being £216.
All other council staff will also be able to take advantage of the tax-relief scheme, meaning a 20 per cent discount on parking.
Council staff received letters yesterday and today informing them of the changes.
The changes see the completion of Bolton Council’s 2009 pay and grading review, which the authority was legally obliged to complete under the Equal Pay Act.
Councillors, directors and assistant directors lost their free parking passes this year.
Council chief executive Sean Harriss said: “We have tried to do this as fairly as possible. It is not something the council has a choice about and we have tried to provide as much information and support to staff.
“We recognise that this is a difficult time for staff.”
Mr Harriss stressed the changes are not part of the council’s cost-saving measures.
Senior managers were briefed on the changes on Monday, allowing them to answer questions from staff.
The council will consult with staff over the next month and the final terms will be agreed in November.
A Unison spokesman said: “We are concerned about any weakening of our members’ terms and conditions, but we are confident the majority of people who need to use their cars for work will not be affected.
“The issue of car parking is a bigger issue, because there are people who, through no fault of their own, now have to pay to park to do their job.”
