E-petition calls for Council executive pay restraint

An e-petition submitted by Peter Jackson is now on the Council website. The petition urges the Council to defer implementation of the huge increases in the pay of the chief executive and other senior executives of the council arising from the Hay Group review until 1 April 2016.

Anyone who lives, works or studies in the Borough of Rochdale (Middleton, Heywood, Littleborough, etc.), including under 18s, can sign the petition.

If the petition has enough signatures to trigger a Council debate, or a senior officer giving evidence to a Scrutiny Committee, then the council will confirm this and let the petitioner know when and where the meeting will take place.

The petition can be found at:

http://democracy.rochdale.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=53&RPID=1097758&HPID=1097758

The Petition statement:

We the undersigned petition the council to Defer implementation of increases in the pay of the chief executive and other senior executives of the council arising from the Hays review until 1st April 2016

The recommended increases in the pay of the chief executive and other senior council executives cannot be justified or afforded at a time when the council has been forced to restrict pay increases for other staff to 1% and make severe reductions in front line public services, substantial redundancies and cuts in support to the most vulnerable groups amongst the borough's population.

The council has stated that further cuts and redundancies will be unavoidable over the next two financial years up to 31st March 2016.

Increases in executive pay of the levels recommended in the Hays review are incompatible with the council's financial constraints and, being based purely on comparability with those in other authorities and not on performance or competency are unnecessary and inappropriate in times of financial hardship for the vast majority of local residents.

There is no evidence to support the proposition that such increases are merited nor, in view of the council's poor performance in respect of the delivery of services that retention of the officers concerned is necessary or even desirable.

For instance, the council's children's services are still considered in need of substantial improvement to prevent further abuses of vulnerable young people, recycling of waste is amongst the lowest in the country and regeneration of Rochdale town centre is still years away from fruition.

Implementation of the recommended pay increases in the current climate would be to reward failure and demonstrate insensitivity to the hardships being suffered by the majority of the population.