Cut top pay and save £178,000, say Westminster Labour

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Cut top pay and save £178,000, say Westminster Labour

By Westminster Labour ⋅ October 19, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
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Labour Councillors have urged Westminster Conservatives to adopt Communities Secretary Eric Pickles’ call that Council staff earning over £100,000 a year should have their pay reduced by 5% – 10%. Speaking at the recent Conservative Party Conference, Mr Pickles said that Council staff earning more than £150,000 a year should take a 10% pay cut while those on more than £100,000 a year should have a 5% cut.

Information from Westminster City Council shows that the top 25 salaries paid by the City Council in 2009/10 amounted to £3,166,714, with two officers earning over £150,000. A 10% cut in their salaries would give a saving of £40,764. The combined cost of the 23 officers earning over £100,000 is £2,759,071 and a 5% cut would save £137,717. In total, the saving for Council Tax payers would be £178,717.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “Because of the Conservatives’ mismanagement of the Council’s finances, there have been massive job losses, service cuts and price increases. With more cuts to come following the Chancellor’s axe on 20th October more savings will need to be found and Mr Pickles’ advice to Councils like Westminster is very timely. This a big test for the Conservatives. Is what Mr Pickles said just more ‘hot air’, or will Westminster Conservatives be prepared to take tough choices and cut top pay?. Or will the Conservatives take their usual route of cutting services for the vulnerable first?”

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