Money

Live music venue Kings Place Arts and Music Centre has agreed to increase the minimum hourly rate of pay for staff as part of a three-year plan, as well as improving annual paid sick leave entitlement.

The organisation has agreed to the three-year staged pay rise plan with trade union Bectu. This will include a rise in the minimum hourly pay rate to £9.65 an hour for 2018-2019, an increase to £10.10 an hour for 2019-2020 and a further pay rise to £10.55 for 2020-2021.

In addition, current pay rates for employees and casual staff will increase by 2% and be backdated to 1 April 2018.

Kings Place Arts and Music Centre has also increased the annual paid sick leave entitlement for permanent employees. This will rise from 10 days in a 12-month period to four weeks over a 12-month period. Paid sick leave for casual staff is also going to be introduced based on an allowance equivalent to four weeks’ pay.

Kings Place Arts and Music Centre entered into a voluntary recognition agreement with Bectu in April 2014.

Helen Ryan, assistant national secretary at Bectu, said: “Our members are very determined to secure at least the London living wage at the venue. Our agreement doesn’t prevent the branch from submitting a pay claim for 2019-2020.

“The union is also continuing discussions on an agreement regarding breaks and going forward we want to ensure that there is equal access to training opportunities for both staff and casuals.”

Kings Place Arts and Music Centre was unavailable for comment at time of publication.