Six-figure salaries revealed for council executives

CHIEF executives' jobs in local authorities were yesterday described as the "best of all gravy trains" after new research found six-figure salaries across the country.

The GMB union said a study of published accounts for 151 county councils, London and metropolitan authorities in England showed that 129 chief executives were paid more than 150,000 a year.

The report said that two chief executives earned over 300,000, 14 earned between 250,000 and 300,000, 62 earned between 200,000 and 250,000 and 51 earned between 150,000 and 200,000.

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Its study of 2009-10 named Paul Hart, former chief executive at Doncaster Council, as the region's best paid. His total remuneration package, including pension contributions, came to 227,729.

Another six chiefs in the region also received packages topping 200,000, the union claimed.

The figures will add to concern about levels of pay in the public sector and comes after the Yorkshire Post revealed earlier this year that at least 88 council employees across the region received pay deals worth more than 100,000 last year.

GMB regional secretary Tim Roache said: "Council workers will be sickened to learn how much their bosses are creaming off and the levels of their bosses' pay.

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"This is at a time when councils say they are hard up and are slashing jobs and services while telling staff to put up with a pay freeze. These same chief executives have had the gall to say their lowest paid workers will not get any pay rise this year.

"I can't believe that the council chief executives salaries have got so high with no obvious logic to explain this."

The GMB also claimed there were a growing number of council chief executives being made expensively redundant one day and "popping up in another job" weeks later.

Coalition Ministers have been critical of soaring salaries at local authorities. The number of public workers paid more than the Prime Minister has risen significantly in recent years.

Local Government Minister Bob Neill also hit out recently following the revelation that Sheffield City Council spent more than 670,000 to pay off three managers.