Clash over hikes in pay for Solihull Council directors

Councillor James Burn

A CHELMSLEY Wood councillor has strongly criticised the decision by Solihull Council to give further pay rises to two of its highest earners.
At the Full Council meeting on Tuesday night it was agreed that two senior directors would see their pay packets increase by £6,000 a year.
Coun James Burn (Green) said that the move followed a number of similar rises in executive pay and that the situation was "getting beyond a joke."
"Since last year our top six directors have shared almost £40,000 per year pay increases between them...in a time when there has been cuts to virtually almost every service.
"The reason given for this latest rise is to address gender inequality, obviously that ostensibly is a good thing but if that's really our concern I think we need to look first to increase pay for our lowest paid, who are disproportionately women."
Coun Robert Hulland, the cabinet member in charge of council finances, said the changes had been made in response to concerns that people of similar-ranking jobs were paid different amounts of money. He also insisted the plans would be "cost-neutral."