Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Perhaps they would think that of you Brian...
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
FFS - they are doing a paid job of work
If you all feel they are being overpaid then that is something you should raise with your councillors and ask them to review remuneration policy
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Quite right Ross.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
rather crass to think that councillors have any real power over the executives.
the top dogs get richer while the hunble officers get a pay freeze.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
Not really Howard
Perhaps in Dover which is clearly an officer lead council, but in many councils it is the elected representatives that control affairs including remuneration policy.
Our elected reps need to start driving the show and insisting that officers enact rather than create policy
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Dover District Council is a member-led Council - although there are areas where this would seem not to be the case - tourism for one.
Roger
The fact is: why do people feel the need to be vicious about people earning their wages? As Ross points out, there are mechanisms in place to challenge or flag if citizens believe there is an inconsistency in pay. But think: leaders and thinkers are necessary to run business, and local government is, at heart, a business. Good leaders are not easy to find and are worth paying well.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Well said Bern - I would guess that viciousness is borne out of misguided jealousy, but there surely should be limits in place and I find it very surprising that (County) Council leaders can be paid more than the PM.
Roger
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
double posted sorry
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
I thought the debate was that the top bods had awarded themselves a pay rise while freezing the minions pay or sacking them.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
They do not just award themselves a pay rise Jan. It has to be determined and approved by Council members. Usually for most positions there is a scale or an agreement in place, sometimes performance related. The exact process can vary Council by Council but in all cases at the end of the day it is the senior elected members of the Council who have the responsibility of making the decision not the council bosses themselves.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
I wonder whether it would be better if there was set pay grades ir CEO grade1 for larger councils, CEO 2 medium, CEO 3 small etc. This would provide set minimum and maximum pay scales for each council depending upon size therefore taking the responsibility for the pay awards away from individual senior elected members.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Disagree Marek. Better that the elected members take the responsibility for deciding remuneration and be able to determine their policy based on local conditions and needs. They then answer to their electorate and in that, the accountability of openness and transparency is what is needed.
On the broader front national pay deals and bargaining should be consigned to the history books.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
barryw,post 21 not worthy of a reply [besides thats an insult].
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
Barry who proposes the pay rise, councillors or the top bods?
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
From yesterday's Torygraph:
" The recruitment of senior council officials is frequently handled by Solace Enterprises, an arm of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace). In other words, council chief executives are helping to hire each other and set each other's salaries. Such mutual back-scratching may be all very cosy for the chief executives but is wholly unacceptable. It is time the people who pay their salaries had a say in the process."
Does that answer your question Jan?
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
Some cannot be paid enough. Here and there, perhaps under the auspices of 'Solace' Peter mentions above, some retire from one executive post only to pop-up elsewhere as self-employed consultants. Thus raking in the high remuneration (about £165,000/annum) while getting paid the pension from they authority they 'retired' from.
Difficult to countenance such 'double-dipping' at any time, but while these self same individuals are rescuing the public purse through sacking front-line staff, it is more than a little sad these days.
Certain deals seem to be set in Aspic, more Soused than Pickled.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Jan - the practise varies from council to council. Independent employment consultancy firms will often be taken on to advise particularly when looking for a new Chief Exec or top officer position. The contract terms for future pay rises can be then established in the contract perhaps linked with a performance review (done by a member panel).
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
OK lets put some new perspective into this.
I have just clicked from here to get my daily ConHome update and the information on Chief Exec pay is not what it seems. I am afraid that silly season newspaper stories have not exactly led you all up the path of truth and honesty!!!
Read this for a more balanced view of their pay. It is by no means defending large pay rises of chief execs but it does explain the flaws in what is being said in the press.
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2011/08/mixed-news-on-ceo-pay.html
Remember - that though this is a partisan Conservative site this is not a Party political issue and this site might be just as critical of overpaid Chief Execs as anyone when Eric Pickles has called for restraint. Read it and you will see what I mean by balance.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the last paragraph in the link sums it up for me.
slashed services and high remuneration at the top are not acceptable to the public.
