Dear Editor
The staff at Shropshire Council have faced 7 years of very difficult working conditions. Some had pay cuts, most pay freezes, there have been many redundancies both voluntary and compulsory. I was glad to be able this year to support an average pay rise of 6% for these people who work under great pressure with huge workloads in understaffed departments. I could not in honesty support an un budgeted for massive pay rise for senior staff. It isimply was not fair and I did not believe the Council could afford pay rises which would pay for up to 2 ordinary staff.
My disquiet was obviously correct as now the Council has imposed a staff recruitment freeze which has not been time limited. So now the lower paid and our over worked staff will be faced with more work, higher sickness rates and possibly further redundancies. I am truly appalled that the few can benefit so well from the many. The new Director of Place will be paid around £30,000 – £40,000 more than the previous one. In the financial crisis we face in the Council because of policies adopted by the Conservatives and their cabinet – and with millions in savings still to be made – this is simply inexcusable and verging on the immoral.
Cllr Heather Kidd
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen