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Nothing provokes more dysfunctional behaviour than issues relating to parking and parking charges. I have even seen ITU nurses threaten to resign in mass and transfer to a neighbouring trust unless they were granted special parking facilities. The problem you have is that Livingstone is quite a nice place to live and work and, presumably, the imposition of these charges won't adversely affect the recruitment or retention of key staff. I agree with you that differential charges on the basis of salary are iniquitous. It would be much more appropriate to make the charges on the basis of engine capacity or the value of the vehicle as defined in very broad terms in Glass's Guide, greenhouse gas emission, or somesuch criterion. If the trust wants to be a socially responsible employer it could sweeten the pill with secure bicycle parking & showers & changing rooms for all staff. I suspect that there isn't much you will be able to do with this one. What I would do is be very sure that management aren't trying to slip something else through whilst everyone's attention is distracted with this issue. In any case, it is only a matter of time before free or subsidised parking at ones place of work becomes a taxable benefit. Robert Forrest > -----Original Message----- > From: [log in to unmask] > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Ellis, > Graham > Sent: 27 October 2000 09:45 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: FW: Salary-Related Car Parking Charges in an NHS Trust > > > > I apologise to international members of the ACB list, for > raising a purely > > UK issue. > > Our hospital is based in Livingston, Scotland. It was a "New > town" until > > its recent 25 th Birthday. It is customary for employers in this area to > > provide free car parking for their employees. The hospital has > done this > > for the past 10 years, but has decided to go aginst staff and public > > opinion by making charges. The "intoductory rates" are set out as > > follows: > > "Charges > > Visitors will be asked to pay £1 per visit > > Staff payment will be by deduction from salary/wages as per the permit > > application/mandate on the following basis: > > £ NIL - staff earning up to £10,000 > > £52 per annum - staff earning between £10,000 - £20,000 > > £120 per annum - staff earning between £20,000 and above." > > I am sure that big-city colleagues would gladly seek a permit, at these > > prices. > > But my questions are: 1) Does a hospital have the authority to > charge car > > parking charges that discriminate on the basis of salary? 2) Are there > > precedents for this "second income tax", or for other salary-related > > charges in the NHS. (I recognise that ACB and the Royal Colleges charge > > differential Annual Membership Fees, agreed by members at an AGM). 3) Do > > Whitley Council Regulations permit such charges? Are Whitley Council > > Conditions relevant to this issue? > > Thanks for any comments to me directly or to the group. > > Graham Ellis > > St. John's Hospital, Livingston, West Lothian. > > > > > > > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%