Cuts? In services, but not in salaries?

Over the next few months RBKC council employees will feel the icy draught of redundancies as
central government cutbacks and merging of services with neighbours, Hammersmith & Fulham and
Westminster bite. The tragic fact is that front line services are going to affected and good-often poorly paid employees thrown out of work. 

So the Hornet thought it would be educative to see how those at the top of the heap live. Though not given to envy the 'deadly sin' nearly overcame her. Whoever said local government was not lucrative had not seen how these bureaucrats live.

Lets start with Transport Supremo,  Tot Brill. Tot has certainly done well for herself. From her self confessed humble career beginnings as a local authority 'designer and a performer' she has graduated to the very technical job of boss of Transport Services. For a similar position in the private sector a formal qualification might be required: perhaps de minimus, a degree in planning or similar to command the salary of £140,000 a year.

However, her hefty wedge pales into insignificance compared to Mrs Carrie, Head of Children's Services. This is a vital job. But does it really need a top salary of £180,000 a year? Lucky old George Bishop who decides all these salaries comes in on £155,000 a year...not bad for a personnel manager. 

Next week we will look at a few more, but before we do let us not forget our Town Clerk and Chief Executive. At a quarter of a million pounds a year Mr Myers earns substantially more than David Cameron. 

Most senior officers, whose salaries are a matter of public record include handsome pension arrangements, and of course some nice bonuses, for doing the job they already get a hefty wedge courtesy of the the RBKC taxpayer!

So do we need to pay these salary levels to attract and retain senior people? Over the next few weeks we will start to compare these salaries with other authorities, including H&F and Westminster. We suspect our friends in RBKC may find the comparisons odious, but let Hornet leave you with this thought; 

Junior and Mid ranking staff will feel the brunt of cutbacks. Senior staff should show solidarity by lopping at least 20% from their own bloated salaries and hand back bonuses.  Even so, its little comfort to the guys emptying the bins, teaching assistants, junior clerks,  or those keeping the parks clean who see their overtime cut, posts lost and wonder what news the new year will bring them.