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Council worker paid £91,000 to fix the lights
Last updated at 00:26am on 1st November 2006
A council today refused to comment on reports that one of its workers is being paid an annual wage of £91,000 despite having been off sick for a year.
The Birmingham Post reported that leaked wage sheets show that Ian Smith still receives a basic salary of £71,000 and bonuses totalling £21,000 from Birmingham City Council even though he was absent with illness for most of 2005/6.
According to the leaked documents, Mr Smith is employed by the council's Street Lighting Direct Labour Organisation as a "signals operative", though he has been the department's full-time representative for the Amicus union for several years.
The newspaper also reported that Mr Smith received an annual "standby bonus" - paid to lighting engineers to be on call to repair lights at anti-social hours - of £16,000, even though he no longer repairs lights.
A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said they were unable to comment on individual cases, but added that parts of their pay structure were based on outdated employment practice and were "clearly not fit for purpose".
The revelations come in the wake of the news that roadworkers in the city can earn up to £53,000 a year for painting lines and cleaning bollards.
Councillor Alan Rudge, the cabinet member for equalities and human resources, said: "The Council is dealing with the issue through the recognised trade unions.
It is currently in discussions with these groups and with other organisations who are representing employees.
"The Council is carrying out a pay review in accordance with a national agreement between councils and trade unions.
"The City Council has an implementation date for this review of 1st April 2007. The review will deal with, among other things, the equality and fairness of pay across the workforce.
"We cannot continue with pay and grading structures that are in some areas outdated, unfair and inflexible, not matter how difficult the change may be."
The council has set a deadline of the end of February to reach an agreement with the unions on a new pay structure. If an agreement cannot be reached by this date, the council will impose a new wage system.
A statutory document - known as a Section 188 notice - will be issued, allowing the council to terminate employees current contracts and re-employ them on different terms. The council said no-one would be dismissed without being offered re-employment on different terms.
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And you get a cushy council pension too....
Council worker paid £91,000 to fix the lights
Last updated at 00:26am on 1st November 2006
A council today refused to comment on reports that one of its workers is being paid an annual wage of £91,000 despite having been off sick for a year.
The Birmingham Post reported that leaked wage sheets show that Ian Smith still receives a basic salary of £71,000 and bonuses totalling £21,000 from Birmingham City Council even though he was absent with illness for most of 2005/6.
According to the leaked documents, Mr Smith is employed by the council's Street Lighting Direct Labour Organisation as a "signals operative", though he has been the department's full-time representative for the Amicus union for several years.
The newspaper also reported that Mr Smith received an annual "standby bonus" - paid to lighting engineers to be on call to repair lights at anti-social hours - of £16,000, even though he no longer repairs lights.
A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said they were unable to comment on individual cases, but added that parts of their pay structure were based on outdated employment practice and were "clearly not fit for purpose".
The revelations come in the wake of the news that roadworkers in the city can earn up to £53,000 a year for painting lines and cleaning bollards.
Councillor Alan Rudge, the cabinet member for equalities and human resources, said: "The Council is dealing with the issue through the recognised trade unions.
It is currently in discussions with these groups and with other organisations who are representing employees.
"The Council is carrying out a pay review in accordance with a national agreement between councils and trade unions.
"The City Council has an implementation date for this review of 1st April 2007. The review will deal with, among other things, the equality and fairness of pay across the workforce.
"We cannot continue with pay and grading structures that are in some areas outdated, unfair and inflexible, not matter how difficult the change may be."
The council has set a deadline of the end of February to reach an agreement with the unions on a new pay structure. If an agreement cannot be reached by this date, the council will impose a new wage system.
A statutory document - known as a Section 188 notice - will be issued, allowing the council to terminate employees current contracts and re-employ them on different terms. The council said no-one would be dismissed without being offered re-employment on different terms.
----
And you get a cushy council pension too....
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