Fight for fairer pay package for youth workers continues

Youth workers are demanding fairer arrangements for performing residential duties and larger allowances for those working in and around London.

Employer and staff representatives agreed at the end of July on a 2.95% pay rise, which should appear in all youth workers’ pay packets from 1st September 2006.

However, negotiations are on-going over the issues of compensatory leave and London and fringe allowances.

The Community and Youth Workers’ Union has urged its members to lobby their employers over the need for at least £3,500 on inner London allowances and a corresponding increase for outer and fringe allowances. Currently the agreed inner London allowance stands at £2,640, the outer allowance at £1,734 and the fringe allowance at £675. This compares to around £3,500 for probation staff and nurses, and £3,700 for teachers.

Members have also been asked to forward details to their local branches of how time in lieu and other arrangements are made for residential duties for full time and part time staff.

“The employers refuse to believe that there is a problem with regard to payment of staff in relation to residentials and international exchanges,” a CYWU spokeperson explained. “They will not move an inch on this question until they have more detail from the union’s research into bad practice.”

Comments shold be emailed to doug@cywu.org.uk.