Council grey fleet drivers, who refused to use their cars for work purposes after bosses stopped their essential car users’ allowance, are understood to be on the brink of calling off their industrial action.

The Isle of Anglesey County Council ceased paying an annual allowance of £1,000 to 238 employees in May last year.

Since then, around 100 members of public sector workers union Unison have not used their cars for work purposes in protest.

A Grievance Appeals Hearing, which was convened at the union’s request, recently found that the council was justified in scrapping the essential car users’ allowance.

An Isle of Anglesey County Council spokesman said: “The Grievance Appeals Hearing was held on December 5, 2013, and, following consideration of the documentation and oral submissions made, the panel decided to dismiss the appeal.

“No statement was released but individual employees and their representative were informed of the outcome immediately.”

Fleet News understands that the hearing also ruled that any member of Unison that still refuses to use their car for work purposes as a result of the dispute will not be penalised.

Since then, some union members have continued with their industrial action.

Unison members remain ‘deeply unhappy’

Geoff Edkins, Unison’s regional organiser, said that its members, who vary from social workers to planning staff, remained “deeply unhappy” that they were “subsidising the council when using their own cars for work”.

He added: “We took this issue to the Grievance Appeals Hearing for three reasons. Firstly, we wanted to show the council how unhappy we were that it had taken the decision to make the changes.

“Secondly, we wanted to get the car users’ allowance put into the overall terms and conditions.

“Thirdly, we also wanted to protect our members who refused to use their cars for work purposes.

“Prior to these conditions being foisted on our members last May, we had comprehensively rejected them over an 18-month period when discussions had been ongoing.

“While the appeal was not successful, an outcome of the hearing is that union members who continue to leave their cars at home will not be penalised – and some have continued to do just this.”

Edkins added that he also expects the ongoing industrial action to be officially called off at a union meeting scheduled for the middle of February.

LPG vehicles to complement pool car fleet

Unison has previously informed Fleet News that the council now has a fleet of 39 pool cars in place and these will be complemented with a further 15 LPG vehicles.

Edkins said it had been his overall impression that the council’s pool car fleet is “generally working well” despite the increased demand being placed on it.

He added: “But there have been occasions when staff members have been given inappropriate vehicles.

“There was one occasion when a social worker was given the dog warden’s van for a journey; this simply doesn’t project a professional image.”

The council spokesman confirmed that departmental heads have not reported any issues with service delivery as a result of employees not using their own cars for work purposes.

Every council in the country is under pressure to find ways to reduce costs amid Government budget cuts and mileage rates have long been highlighted as a source of potential savings, particularly when it comes to employees’ own cars being used on council business.

In 2011, a report from pressure group The Taxpayers’ Alliance revealed that mileage allowances were costing councils an estimated £427 million a year.

When the Anglesey council removed the annual allowance last year, each employee affected by the change received a one-off £150 payment as a gesture of goodwill together with an increase in their mileage allowance from 40p per mile to 52.2p per mile.

It is understood that the new mileage rate applies to the first 8,500 miles and reverts to 15p per mile thereafter.

The changes have resulted in the council’s essential users being paid the same as its 1,500 non-essential users.

The council spokesman added that the changes have been made to save £250,000 a year while also safeguarding 16 jobs.

He added: “The authority’s decision to remove the essential car user allowance arose from the need to make substantial savings in our overall budget. 

“Removal of the allowance will result in a saving of approximately £250,000 thereby reducing the need to make a number of redundancies in the current financial year.”
 

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