The Caerphilly County Borough Council bosses who received pay increases of up to 30% have been urged to voluntarily donate their rises to local food banks.
The plea has been made by Aber Valley Plaid Cymru councillor Lyndon Binding, who says many people are struggling to make ends meet while senior managers have enjoyed rises more than many people earn in a year.
Councillor Binding said: “These increases are totally inacceptable. They have been given rises which in many cases are more than ordinary council employees earn in a full year.
“Many people in the county borough are struggling to put food on their table as well as pay their heating bills. I appeal to all chief officers who received these rises to donate them to local Trussel Trust Foodbanks in Risca, Pontllanfraith and New Tredegar, which do a fantastic job helping the hungry.”
Figures from the Trussell Trust’s Cardiff Foodbank reveal they have fed 70% more adults and children in 2012 than in 2011 with 535 people in October alone.
Councillor Binding added: “These increases have severely damaged the reputation of Caerphilly County Borough Council which the management team are charged with helping to improve. They need to bear that in mind.
“I hope the senior officers will show some Christmas spirit, do the decent thing and donate the payments they have received to foodbanks. I’m pleased that Labour members have finally seen sense in aiming to get the decision on pay rises reversed which all residents and council employees will expect.”
Last week it was revealed that council chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan was one of 20 senior bosses awarded pay increases at a secret meeting of five councillors in September. His salary is now believed to be around £158,000, a £35,000 increase on previously published figures. A chief officer once on £71,000 now appears, under the new pay structure, to have had an increase to more than £99,000.
On Tuesday night, Labour councillors issued an apology for allowing the pay rise to happen and promised to investigate ways of reversing it.
The daftest idea I have heard for a while, why not rescind the pay rise as already agreed?
They should not give their pay rise to charity for at least three reasons.
A) The money still has to come from us ratepayers.
B) These overpaid Council employees will get tax relief on any money 'they give' to charity.
C) The 'pay rise' will be accepted as a norm and will eventually be paid them along with inflationary increases.