Public sector employers should pay London weighting of up to one-third more
if they are to effectively recruit and retain staff, an independent panel has
claimed.
The London Weighting panel has recommended that additional money paid to
compensate public workers for the extra cost of living in the capital should be
comparable to the private sector.
Public sector staff in inner London should be paid up to 37 per cent more
than those outside, or 33 per cent more if the effect of the City is excluded.
The recommendations also say that employees in outer London should receive
between 11 and 15 per cent more pay, figures that are broadly in line with
existing levels of London Weighting.
The panel, set up by the London Assembly, claimed that private and public
workers should get comparable levels of London Weighting because everyone faces
the same extra costs.
Bill Knight, chairman of the panel, said employees and staff should work
together to agree definitions of inner and outer London.
He said the rises would mean substantial cost increases and urged employers
and unions to join forces to press for more investment from the Government.
