Rotten boroughs.

A few years back our council, Barnet in North London, made cuts everywhere but at the same time spent 50 grand on putting in a private bathroom at the Town Hall for the Mayors sole use.
Nice to know they have their priorities right!

No surprise there, they're all the same

How can they justify such wages.
Do they have unique skills that others do not have?
Are they really indispensable?
Some jobs are vastly and oscenely overpaid - footballers and better-known actors.
Council middle-management sounds like another.
I wonder how many of these  highly paid people would be able to wipe bottoms and clean up faeces and vomit daily, as some of their lower paid workers do?

I do not know the answer about how many councils overpay  themselves if the government is going to cut monies to the councils we are still going to be the ones who suffer and be worst off, every cut that is being made the government they try to justify the reason, it could apply to some councils but perhaps not all of them and will it make any difference naming and shaming them, I am not sure this is the right road to go down. I doubt very much the ones who are overpaying themselves will take a cut in wages or step down it will be the front workers who will lose their jobs yet again and do the government care..not a chance..it is a clever way for them to take the heat off themselves IMO

You're right there Marguerita... but at least their names and salaries will be published.... named and shamed.
How the heck can 15,000 council employees be earning over £58,000 p.a.


I take my rubbish to a communal bin-area... it stinks, as its left for a fortnight... Swansea apparently is the rat capital of the U.K..... no wonder.

Rosie I know what you are saying about naming and shaming them but I doubt these workers will care their jobs will probably stay safe,my bins are emptied every two weeks living on my own it is not a problem for me as it would be for a family,but I have had which I can only say  looks like  fruit flies in my bin and I have always put everything into black bags before it goes into my bin I had all these little flies everywhere,now I spray fly spray into the bin which has solved the problem  but I would be so scared if I saw  rat this fortnightly call is not right

Yep Marguerita, you're quite right...  they look after themselves ( cynical but true ). 


Thats bad that you have flies...poor you!  They're horrible, I get them in the Summer, its disgusting...I get about 3 or 4 coming into my flat daily, in the hot weather.  Never had them when I lived in Belfast. Must be the rubbish piled up outside.

Two things I would say about the article. Firstly, why not make it compulsory now for councils to list the job titles and duties of those high earners? All of this 'they'll be allowed to do it voluntarily and then, if they don't, we'll force them to' is not much good. Councils will prevaricate until they have shed as many of those high earners as possible before publishing details.


And secondly - if it is good enough for the local councils then why the hell is it not good enough for Whitehall?  Why should they only have to list those earning over 150k a year I think the article said when the councils will have to list those earning just over a third of that?

Thanks, and good points Veggieburger... but didn't it say in the article, how the civil servants objected strongly/almost striked when it was proposed their earnings be made public? Sounds like they hold the power and the purse-strings. How to discipline them?

Yep that's the thing. Same with the police, no Govt wants to go up against them as they need them. My ex Brother In Law works in the Cabinet Office and his work centres around HR and implementation of employment rights/law/condtions etc. I shouldn't think he earns anywhere near 50k a year although he's worked for the civil service for 30 years.

Looks like Mr Pickles has over eaten  a few times,perhaps he's paid too much..

Yep, true Kattymiewoww  he's not a great advert. I thought the same thing myself!