Doncaster Council staff pay remuneration not guaranteed, Mayor Ros Jones says
Pay remuneration for City of Doncaster Council employees is not guaranteed, the Mayor of Doncaster has said.
Mayor Ros Jones was pressed to provide a timeline for pay remuneration by Reform UK councillor, Chris Kidger, Bessacarr ward.
Cllr Kidger told the mayor that a “fair and competitive” pay remuneration is important for attracting and retaining skilled staff at the council, which currently pays less than neighbouring authorities in Rotherham, Barnsley and Sheffield.
Kidger’s question to the Mayor comes following the start of discussions between the Mayor and representatives from the GMB union.
The GMB is demanding Doncaster Council reverses a pay cut of up to 2.5 per cent implemented in 2012.
Mayor Jones told the meeting: “Although I wasn’t the Mayor when the decision was taken in 2012 to cut staff pay by up to 2.5%, I do recognise and appreciate the impact that this has had on staff earnings over the years.
“The previous Mayor implemented the changes on the promise to limit the job losses and prevent widespread redundancies, the reality being that over the 14 years of austerity we still saw significant job losses and cuts to services.”
Jones thanked staff for “all their hard work and efforts” delivering council services and said she remains committed to “enhancing the overall employee experience”.
Responding to Cllr Kidger, Jones added: “As you will be aware there is currently uncertainty in relation to local government funding and many budgetary pressures facing this Council and local authorities across the country. However, I have heard the feedback from both staff and unions and acknowledge the recruitment and retention challenges that we are facing in a number of service areas.
“As I stated back in July, I cannot make any promises in relation to pay restoration at this stage, however I am committed to reviewing options, alongside consideration of all budget pressures, as part of my budget proposals.
“We expect to get the indicative settlement announcement from Government before Christmas, which will enable us to draft my budget proposals before they are presented to Cabinet in February.”
As previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Mayor Jones was scheduled to meet with union leaders in September 2025 to begin discussions on pay remuneration.
GMB members are hopeful for the new pay award to be featured in Mayor Jones’ 2026/27 budget.