A district has vowed its services will remain unaffected, despite its ‘disappointment' at the final pay settlement increase. ACAS decided last week, following a long-running dispute between the unions and employers, to award an extra 0.3% increase in pay to local government workers for the year 2008/09, bringing it to 2.75% in total. Havant BC leader, Cllr Tony Briggs, said: ‘The news that the arbitrators have awarded an additional 0.3% increase to the original 2.45% pay settlement has come as a disappointment, as this has been imposed on us at a time when Havant BC is working hard to provide high-quality and value-for-money public services, and keep council tax increases down.' The cost of implementing the additional award for the council will be £32,000, to be met from existing finances.
