27 September 2002
Dickens emerged as favourite to chair the year-long review after both the council employers and the unions involved in the dispute backed an approach to her, Public Finance has learnt.
She confirmed her interest in the post this week, but warned that she has not yet accepted the role. 'Yes, there has been initial, very informal, discussion on the possibility of me chairing the commission, but I must stress that nothing firm has been finalised.
'I am still assessing what the role would involve in practice and how it would impact on my work here at Warwick.'
A collective bargaining expert with an in-depth understanding of public services, Dickens is viewed by both sides as the ideal person to arbitrate on the complex set of issues involved. The pay commission will report its findings by next September.
Charles Nolda, executive director at the Employers' Organisation, said councils would view her appointment 'very positively'. Unison, the largest union involved in this year's dispute, said it would 'applaud the choice'.
The commission, expected to be up and running by November, will investigate allegations of low and unequal pay across councils. Its findings will form the basis of wage settlements from 2004.
This year's pay dispute, which led to the first national strike by council workers for 23 years, officially ended last week, when both the employers and unions accepted a two-year settlement that will see wages rise by 7.75–10.9% by 2004.
PFsep2002
