WC attempts to justify executive pay hikes

Wiltshire Council's communications department has been working hard to head off media criticism of the decision to give large pay rises to senior managers whilst making hundreds of workers redundant and keeping pay levels of frontline staff suppressed. They claim the executives are currently underpaid and need more money to stop them going away - an argument which is seldom made for normal workers. They also claim that the majority of staff want to see their bosses paid more. They say the high rates of pay were set by an "external body of professional advisors." The council points to the significant savings made in recent years by reducing the number of highly-paid executives, which has been achieved without affecting the council's overall performance. Here's their statement:

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Senior manager pay scales

Some of you may be aware of the media publicity following the decision of the Staffing Policy Committee (4 September) to bring the pay of senior managers in line with similar sized local authorities. The current position is that senior managers are being paid below the median level, which is a breach of our agreed policy. This is not the case with all staff.

The committee had a lengthy discussion and agreed to adhere to our current policy to pay at the median level. Any consideration to adjust this policy and pay at the lower level would have had an extremely negative impact on the majority of staff employed by the organisation and therefore could affect the delivery of services to the people of Wiltshire.

The re-alignment of senior management pay scales was independently reviewed by an external body of professional advisors; the Hay pay benchmarking group. It stated that the pay scales, at median level are not competitive and not reflective of the changes in the wider market place. The advisors also highlighted that for the council to deliver service excellence and its innovative programmes, it needs to be able to recruit and retain high calibre staff with the right skills and expertise.

Since 2009, the senior management structure has reduced from 33 senior managers (cost of around £3.5 million) to 21, which is a significant saving of almost £1.2 million. It is proposed to further reduce the number of senior managers to reflect the priorities agreed in the business plan for the next four years (approved at council this week). Consultation on these proposals will start next week (11 September). If the proposals are approved, this restructure will save up to £500,000, in addition to the £1.2 million already saved. The pay scales for the remaining senior managers following this restructure will be adjusted to be equitable and in line with the agreed policy to pay at the median level.

The media headlines of pay rises for individual senior managers of £20,000 are both inaccurate and misleading.

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Your say:

"I read in the latest Wiltshire Times (13th Sept 2013) that senior management at the council have had payrises of up to 16%, despite the public sector pay freeze and the widespread redundancies at the Council to save cash.

I also read that Councillor Wheeler says he has had no notice of objections apart from a letter from a member of the public. Well, here is a letter from another member of the public objecting. I work at the University of Bath, which, also being a public sector organisation, seems to have the same attitude towards senior management pay.

Autonomous elected and non-elected members of its governing body decide senior management pay independently of nationally agreed rules, and yes, they too, flout the prevailing culture of constraint and award those individuals with fat pay rises. The University's outgoing Chancellor condemned this attitude recently, so has, on a larger stage, the Business Secretary Vince Cable.

As a council tax payer, and an income tax payer, I contribute towards the Council's two primary sources of income. As this is partly my money, I therefore wish to register my strong objection to the culture within the Council (and generally in the public sector) that endorses the idea that senior management talent is somehow above the "we're all in this together" ideal, and that if large pay rises are not awarded then talented individuals will go elsewhere. I would rather have my Council managed by individuals who are prepared to accept a fair pay deal reflecting current standards, than the kind of prima donnas who will stomp out of the party if they don't get inflation busting payrises. Perhaps the Council could consider promoting hard-working staff from within its ranks instead of seeking self aggrandising "talent" from the senior management recruitment Merry-go-round.

When the Council asked the public what they wanted money to be spent on, the answer was not, surprisingly, senior management pay, or tarting up the Council offices; it was roads. Wiltshire's roads are appalling, far worse than those of neighbouring councils. Please, Councillor Wheeler, review and retract these payrises, and spend the money saved in salary, pension, and national insurance payments, on filling some of the potholes and resurfacing some of the more desperate roads before the winter starts to bite."

S.R; Staverton