Rank hypocrisy

Staff at Dorset county council will be protesting on Thursday (July 21) over ‘them and us’ pay inequality at the council’s headquarters.

 

Employees’ are angry at large pay rises planned for council bosses while other employee’s see a squeeze on their pay and cuts to services.

 

“It is hard to justify pay rises for senior staff in a council which is so overspent,” said Bob Lanning, Unite regional officer.

 

“Other council employees have had to struggle to get by with a one per cent increase for the last two years,” he added.

 

The 15 heads of services at the council are to receive pay increases of up to ÂŁ12,000 on current salaries that start from ÂŁ79,000.

 

“I cannot think of many industries that reward this sort of failure. All of the money allocated to the pay rises for top managers should be spent on public services and reducing the huge overspend,” said Bob.

 

The pay plan, which was rubber stamped by the staffing consultation panel recently, will come before the full council for approval also on Thursday (July 21).

 

Unite members will be joining the protest against the pay recommendations on Thursday outside County Hall from 08.00.

 

“We are calling on all staff and members of the public affected by cuts, such as youth services and libraries, to join the protest on Thursday,” said Bob.

 

Staff in the finance department at the council are having to undergo a restructuring exercise where they must sit an exam, give presentations and then be interviewed to retain their current level of pay.

 

“Unite would like to know what process senior staff had to go through to get their unprecedented pay rise,” added Bob.

 

Unite wants members of the public to have the opportunity to tell the council what they think about the planned pay rises for top earning staff, while at the same time council services are axed and other council workers’ pay is squeezed.

 

“As usual, there is one law for the bosses and another for everyone else,” said Bob.

 

“We hope the Dorset public are suitable disgusted by this display of rank hypocrisy,” he added.

 

Unite intends to launch a freedom of information request into the cost of restructuring at the council over the past six years.