Dudley Borough Council agrees pay deal with unions
A pay deal has been struck between a Black Country council and trade unions.
It means pay grades as well as terms and conditions will be "harmonised" across Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council's 7,500-plus staff.
Tony Rabaiotti, from the Unison trade union, said the collective agreement meant "an end of discriminatory practices of old pay structures".
The deal, due to be implemented from 1 April, means about 1,300 staff will see a drop in their basic salary.
The local authority said staff would be protected from the proposed pay cut until October 2013.
More than 2,000 will receive a pay rise.
The deal is also designed to eliminate historical differences between male and female staff, in terms of both pay and terms and conditions.
The agreement has been described as an "example of best practice" after an independent review on behalf of Unison, GMB and Unite.
Council leader Les Jones said: "For all three unions to not only ballot, but accept the proposal is a unique position for a metropolitan borough council to be in within the region.
"Intensive negotiations went on between the council and the unions... and it is a credit to all those involved that we have reached this collective agreement."
The authority needs to find savings of £8m in 2012-13, as part of a plan to save £35m over three years.
It said the collective agreement would mean an initial increase of 1% to the annual salary bill, rising to less than 2.5% over the next four years.