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Labour councillors grab 40% pay increase |
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Friday, 03 February 2006 |
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At today's meeting of SPTA the chair (Alistair Watson) and vice chairs were awarded big pay increases. Now that Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) is becoming Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) the chair and vice-chairs of the old SPT are also to be the chair and vice chairs of the new SPT (all Labour councillors, of course). Because of their added workload it was agreed the chair should get 25% more and the vice chairs 40% more!
The SNP's Cllrs John Mason and Elizabeth Gemmell voted against the proposal. However, all the Labour councillors faithfully supported their mates and won the vote by 16 to 4. John Mason said later, "It beggars belief that as Councils cut services and struggle to keep Council Tax down, the Labour club arrogantly pay themselves more money. Of course there is extra work in SPT becoming SPT but lots of employees in lots of organisations have to take on a bit of extra work without getting huge pay increases."
(Note: Alistair Watson's allowance rises from £18,398 to £22,997. David McLachlan and Tom Selfridge go from £12,327 to £17,248. This is on top of their basic councillors allowance of some £7,000.)
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