Ronnie Campbell slams pay hike for county council chiefs
Critical of payments, Ronnie Campbell, MP.
By HELEN SMITHSON
RONNIE Campbell has slammed Northumberland County Council for the controversial 'golden handcuffs' pay rise awarded to three of its top bosses.
Blyth Valley's MP has branded the 20 per cent pay increase given to the senior officials as 'disgraceful' and has written to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to voice his disgust.County council leader Peter Hillman granted the increases back in October to chief executive Mark Henderson, deputy chief executive Jill Dixon, and finance director Steven Mason to ensure they stay with the authority until it becomes unitary next year.The officials earned around £360,000 between them even before the increase was granted.Mr Campbell told the News Post Leader: "Who do these people think they are?"If Hillman has got that power, then that's very dangerous in local government."He shouldn't have that power, it's very dangerous in the hands of one man."I would urge the authority to take that power away from him."It's disgraceful that everyone else is knuckling under but these executives can pay themselves."In his letter to the PM, Mr Campbell states: "Do you not think if they are entitled to any pay rise that it should be 1.9 per cent like everybody else, or is it a case that the higher up the scale you are, the bigger the rise you are entitled to?"I think it is an absolute disgrace."The news of the increases has also angered residents, coming at a time when the authority is looking to take £4.7m off its budgets, and plans are in the pipeline to increase care charges for the elderly and the disabled.Joe Curran, who lives in Seaton Delaval, e-mailed Coun Hillman for an explanation behind the increase and why he approved the decision."The idea that a single person can dish out this money to three well paid executives when everyone else is being asked to accept a 1.9 per cent increase is nothing short of scandalous," said Mr Curran."Somebody is quite obviously taking benefit of his position and spending ratepayers' money."This decision is going to effect ratepayers in the county, and it's way out of order and totally unacceptable."Why wasn't this
first made public in October when the decision was made?"The extra wages will cost the authority an additional £6,200 per month.County council leader Peter Hillman defended the decision, saying it was vital to keep staff to ensure continuity and a smooth transition into the unitary authority."I'm pleased we have been able to do this to secure posts which are essential to making the re-organisation happen in the best possible way," he said."All organisations going through major change face a challenge in terms of keeping staff, and its common practice to offer incentives for people to stay to make sure that changes happen as smoothly as possible."Losing people in critical posts can not only damage or delay the transition process but is also be very expensive in terms of costs of recruitment to replace people in senior posts, which run into tens of thousands of pounds."
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