IT is extraordinary that whenever public sector pay comes up our local councils always fight any increase tooth and nail.
IT is extraordinary that whenever public sector pay comes up our local councils always fight any increase tooth and nail. Last week we had a wide range of workers on strike because the council cannot find more than 2.4 percent. This is a derisory offer to some of the lowest paid people in our community. I understand that to some this would mean a magnificent 20p an hour increase. They have already seen an increase in tax this year after the 10 percent rate was removed. At the back end of last year the police were awarded by an independent tribunal 2.5 percent pay increase, but this was blocked by local councils and Government alike and they had to settle for 1.9 percent. In the March budget this year all North Somerset Tory councillors voted themselves increases between 25 percent and 45 percent along with 17 percent non-contributory pensions and the moral of this story is there are no morals anymore for many councillors and MPs where money and politics are concerned.
PETER HARDAWAY
Wick St Lawrence
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