Council chiefs' pay ‘defies logic’

More than 100 council chiefs in England were paid £150,000 and above last year, new research by the GMB general union has found.

The study revealed that two chief executives received more than £300,000. Top of the list was Cumbria’s Peter Stybelski who received £464,114. However £351,169 of that was in pension contributions as he took early retirement through ill-health. In London boroughs, Wandsworth’s Gerald Jones received £356,891.

Kent county council’s top person — Peter Gilroy — was paid just £389 shy of £300,000. A further 13 earned between £250,000 and £300,000, while 62 received between £200,000 and £250,000.

Brian Strutton, GMB national secretary for public services, said: “Council workers will be sickened to learn how much their bosses are creaming off and the levels of their bosses’ pay. 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. You have to ask what our elected councillors are doing, voting through such obscene remuneration packages."

www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/latest_news/pay_of_council_chief_execs.aspx