Wigan Council apprentices voice disappointment at not receiving the same pay rise as colleagues

The workers on apprenticeships for the local authority were not included in a recent salary boost for all other new town hall workers including part-timers and newcomers.

They say they had been under the impression they would be included and it wasn’t until the day the payslips arrived along with an email from human resources when they discovered they hadn’t been.

The local authority however says its apprentice rates are aligned to the National Living Wage set by Government and it has delivered on its commitment to continue paying apprentices above both the Apprentice Rate and National Minimum Wage.

An apprentice, who did not wish to be identified, said: "It was really disappointing as we had no prior communication that we were not going to be getting it. We are the lowest paid workers and we could have really done with the money in this consideration the cost of living crisis.

“On the portal we have access to our accounts, and there has been no news except for on the day when we noticed we hadn’t received one and were given the excuse of ‘the apprenticeship scheme had received a pay rise’ a while ago.

Wigan Council pays apprentices the National Living Wage, which is more than the average apprentice earns. That rose to £9.50 last April and the apprentices saw their pay go up to that level.

An apprentice said: “It fair to say that for an apprenticeship, it is better than the average, but we are still the lowest paid role in the entire council.

"If we were treated alike we would probably be looking at around £1.2k in our pay slip, which many of us could have done with during this cost of living crisis.

"So, for what is already a poorly paid role, just because it has had an increase to the pay in the past, which is still poorly paid compared to the rest of the borough, that is the justification they have given us for not giving us that money.

“We are in unions and are now speaking to them about it. It’s just not on. Wigan Council are always talking about equality and treating everyone fairly but they have not, they have mistreated this role.”

Apprentices’ roles with the local authority include the skills of life-guards, receptionists, gym instructors, personal trainers, emergency first aiders and swimming teachers.

Another told Wigan Today: “That is a role that can do six different kinds of jobs, a multi-skilled person, and that is someone that you should take care of.

“The hours are usually decent and management and colleagues are great – they are very fair and I can’t fault them.

"But, we do not think it is fair that absolutely nothing was said until upon the day and that we did not receive some of the pay rise.”

A Wigan Council spokesperson said: “The council’s pay rates for apprentices are aligned to the National Living Wage which is set by Government.

"The council has delivered on its commitment to continue to pay its apprentices above both the Apprentice Rate and National Minimum Wage. As such, our apprentices all received an increase in pay of 6.6 per cent from April 2022, to £9.50 per hour.”