Latest news with #RealLivingWage
Wales Online
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Wales Online
Welsh council leader 'concerned' about impact immigration plan could have on care
Welsh council leader 'concerned' about impact immigration plan could have on care Cllr Huw Thomas said the UK Government's plans to restrict oversees recruitment of care workers is "certainly a matter of concern" Cllr Huw Thomas said he is concerned about the UK Government's immigration plans (Image: Cardiff Council ) The Labour leader of Cardiff Council said he is concerned about UK Government immigration plans that could affect social care in the city. Cllr Huw Thomas spoke about plans to restrict oversees recruitment of care workers at a building topping out ceremony in Grangetown on Friday, June 6. The UK Government said its plan, which is part of the recently published immigration white paper, is aimed at stopping carers from oversees being subject to "shameful levels of abuse and exploitation". However, unions, care agencies and councils have come out in criticism of the move which they say will exacerbate the pressure the care sector is already under. Never miss a Cardiff story and sign up to our newsletter here. When asked how concerned he was about the plans, Cllr Thomas said: "I think it is certainly a matter of concern. "There are migrant workers in the care sector in Cardiff doing incredibly important work in very difficult circumstances. "We want to support them and as a council we are working with trade unions to support that work force. Article continues below "What that's meant over the last couple of years is that the marketplace for domiciliary care... is actually quite resilient in Cardiff. "I think if there would be changes... that are proposed to be introduced, that would weaken the resilience of the delivery of domiciliary care. The leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, was speaking at an event in Grangetown (Image: Ted Peskett ) "It is a concern. We are feeding that concern into Government for their consideration." A Cardiff Council official told councillors at a scrutiny committee meeting in February 2023 that the local authority was having issues with recruiting social care staff. An advert posted on the council's Facebook page in May 2025 said it currently has "vacancies in a number of care roles". In a statement published on May 11, the UK Government said some carers seeking work in the UK arrived to find themselves "saddled with debt", being treated unfairly and discovering the jobs they were promised didn't exist. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has also come out in criticism of the plans. WLGA spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, said: "Councils have long struggled to recruit social care workers, especially in rural and coastal areas. "The Welsh Government's Real Living Wage has helped, but international recruitment has been an important part of keeping services going. "These proposals risk shutting off a vital source of social care workers at the very moment local services are under extreme pressure. "Councils are working hard to support people to live with dignity and independence – but this depends on having a workforce in place. "Removing this option without a fully funded plan to grow the domestic workforce is a significant risk. "It will take time and investment to build a resilient, sustainable care workforce. "In the meantime, we fear the consequences will be felt by the people who rely most on support – older people, people with disabilities, and unpaid carers. Article continues below "Workforce planning must reflect the reality on the ground. "Local authorities are uniquely placed to understand the needs of their communities, and their insights must shape national decisions."
Rhyl Journal
17-05-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Denbighshire chief executive earns more than six times lowest paid
At a meeting at the council's Ruthin County Hall HQ this week, councillors rubber-stamped Denbighshire 's annual pay policy statement, which outlines how much council staff are paid, including senior officers and the lowest-paid employees. The 2025/26 version included details of the latest national pay awards agreed for 2024/25, while noting that negotiations for the upcoming year were still ongoing. The policy, required under the Localism Act 2011, must be updated and published each year and confirmed the council's lowest-paid staff are expected to remain on wages above the Real Living Wage of £12 per hour. The statement compared the salary of the chief executive with that of the council's lowest-paid worker, referencing national guidance that top earners in the public sector should not receive more than 20 times the lowest salary. The chief executive position receives an incremental scale of £144,452 – £148,822 per annum for 2024/25, with no agreement on the National Pay Award for 2025/26 being in place yet. Head of corporate support services Catrin Roberts said Denbighshire's pay structure was within the limits allowed. 'An important part of the policy is to show the relationship between the remuneration of the chief executive and chief officers pay and all other employees of the council, effectively looking at how much the chief officers earn compared to the other employees,' she said. 'There is some data there that relates to the pay relativity for the council. It states that the chief executive's salary is 6.4 times the salary of the lowest paid employee for the council. 'The average chief officer is 4.4 times the lowest paid employee, and looking at average salary, it states that the chief executive salary is five times the average salary of all council employees, and that the chief officer salary is 3.4 times the average salary of employees.' She added: 'The requirement is that no public-sector manager can earn more than 20 times the lowest paid person in that particular organisation. So our figures are well within that limit.' The council has a turnover of £439 million (£396 million revenue and £43 million capital) and employs around 4,500 staff. The report states that the current chief executive, Graham Boase, has been in the position since 1 August 2021.
Wales Online
16-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Council's chief executive earns 6.4 times the salary of the lowest paid staff
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Denbighshire Council's chief executive earns more than six times the salary of the council's lowest paid member of staff, councillors heard. At a meeting at the council's Ruthin County Hall HQ this week, councillors rubber-stamped Denbighshire 's annual pay policy statement, which outlines how much council staff are paid, including senior officers and the lowest-paid employees. The 2025/26 version included details of the latest national pay awards agreed for 2024/25, while noting that negotiations for the upcoming year were still ongoing. The policy, required under the Localism Act 2011, must be updated and published each year and confirmed the council's lowest-paid staff are expected to remain on wages above the Real Living Wage of £12 per hour. The statement compared the salary of the chief executive with that of the council's lowest-paid worker, referencing national guidance that top earners in the public sector should not receive more than 20 times the lowest salary. The chief executive position receives an incremental scale of £144,452 - £148,822 per annum for 2024/25, with no agreement on the National Pay Award for 2025/26 being in place yet. Sign up for the North Wales Live newslettersent twice daily to your inbox. Head of corporate support services Catrin Roberts said Denbighshire's pay structure was within the limits allowed. 'An important part of the policy is to show the relationship between the remuneration of the chief executive and chief officers pay and all other employees of the council, effectively looking at how much the chief officers earn compared to the other employees,' she said. 'There is some data there that relates to the pay relativity for the council. It states that the chief executive's salary is 6.4 times the salary of the lowest paid employee for the council. "The average chief officer is 4.4 times the lowest paid employee, and looking at average salary, it states that the chief executive salary is five times the average salary of all council employees, and that the chief officer salary is 3.4 times the average salary of employees.' She added: 'The requirement is that no public-sector manager can earn more than 20 times the lowest paid person in that particular organisation. So our figures are well within that limit.' The council has a turnover of £439 million (£396 million revenue and £43 million capital) and employs around 4,500 staff. The report states that the current chief executive, Graham Boase, has been in the position since 1 August 2021. Public notices in your area
North Wales Live
16-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
Council's chief executive earns 6.4 times the salary of the lowest paid staff
Denbighshire Council's chief executive earns more than six times the salary of the council's lowest paid member of staff, councillors heard. At a meeting at the council's Ruthin County Hall HQ this week, councillors rubber-stamped Denbighshire 's annual pay policy statement, which outlines how much council staff are paid, including senior officers and the lowest-paid employees. The 2025/26 version included details of the latest national pay awards agreed for 2024/25, while noting that negotiations for the upcoming year were still ongoing. The policy, required under the Localism Act 2011, must be updated and published each year and confirmed the council's lowest-paid staff are expected to remain on wages above the Real Living Wage of £12 per hour. The statement compared the salary of the chief executive with that of the council's lowest-paid worker, referencing national guidance that top earners in the public sector should not receive more than 20 times the lowest salary. The chief executive position receives an incremental scale of £144,452 - £148,822 per annum for 2024/25, with no agreement on the National Pay Award for 2025/26 being in place yet. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox. Head of corporate support services Catrin Roberts said Denbighshire's pay structure was within the limits allowed. 'An important part of the policy is to show the relationship between the remuneration of the chief executive and chief officers pay and all other employees of the council, effectively looking at how much the chief officers earn compared to the other employees,' she said. 'There is some data there that relates to the pay relativity for the council. It states that the chief executive's salary is 6.4 times the salary of the lowest paid employee for the council. "The average chief officer is 4.4 times the lowest paid employee, and looking at average salary, it states that the chief executive salary is five times the average salary of all council employees, and that the chief officer salary is 3.4 times the average salary of employees.' She added: 'The requirement is that no public-sector manager can earn more than 20 times the lowest paid person in that particular organisation. So our figures are well within that limit.' The council has a turnover of £439 million (£396 million revenue and £43 million capital) and employs around 4,500 staff. The report states that the current chief executive, Graham Boase, has been in the position since 1 August 2021.
The National
12-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Anas Sarwar's brother 'to make millions' from Kebab chain deal
Athif Sarwar is understood to have secured a deal worth upwards of £50 million between German Doner Kebab (GDK) and investment firm True, according to the Sunday Mail. The Glasgow-based chain is owned by Hero Brands, in which Sarwar, 46, has more than 75 per cent of the shareholdings. READ MORE: Is time running out for Anas Sarwar to stand against Keir Starmer? The firm has previously come under fire for advertising jobs paying below the legal minimum wage, later claiming the job adverts were 'outdated' and posted in 'error'. We exclusively revealed how GDK advertised dozens of jobs at below the National Living Wage of £11.44 per hour, which is the minimum for those aged 21 and over. Last year, Anas Sarwar was forced to deny United Wholesale, a family firm, had failed to pay the Real Living Wage. GDK had 170 global locations, and 145 in the UK. The Scottish Labour leader, 42, is not involved in GDK or any family businesses. Scottish Conservative MSP Annie Wells told the newspaper: 'It's pretty embarrassing for Anas Sarwar that while he preaches about the living wage, his own brother has seemingly amassed a fortune while ignoring it.' (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) Simon Wallis, GDK chief executive, confirmed the investment deal with London-based True. 'At GDK, we are inspired by our purpose to elevate the kebab-eating experience and it's great to be working alongside a partner that shares the vision of dominating the kebab category across the world and in every neighbourhood we operate in,' he said. Athif Sarwar, executive chairman of Hero Brands, said: 'The GDK movement has been blessed with monumental growth. READ MORE: Greens leadership hopeful says 'soundbitey' nature of FMQs must end 'We have built an incredible team at GDK focused on delivering for our partners, franchisees and guests, and we are looking forward to the next phase of the GDK journey with True.' The size of the investment was not confirmed, but GDK said it was investing from a fund 'committing £10-100million of equity to the future of retail and consumer sectors'. The fast-food chain has nine Scottish restaurants, including in Glasgow, Stirling, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and Hamilton.
