Living Wage/Councillor Allowances

[steveL]

The living wage proposals are set to be discussed this Friday, 23rd August at the Finance and Policy Committee meeting.

Much was made of the fact that the basic allowance was frozen under the new governance arrangements which coincided with the review of the 'independent remuneration panel'. Increasing the councillor basic allowance so soon after the elected Mayoral system was replaced by what we have now would not have looked good for CAB.

Not all Labour councillors were happy with this and, if you remember, the deal quietly done with councillors who did not benefit from special allowances, was that the basic allowance would be linked to increases in council pay and the introduction of a 'living wage' was the way that this would be done.

In the next few days, we're going to read lots of HBC Press Releases regurgitated by the Hartlepool Mail about poverty, low pay and deprivation but it will all be done with with one eye firmly fixed on the councillor basic allowance.

Whatever you think of the living wage, (I personally am in favour of it), the cynical way that the Labour Group are using it to try and sneak through an increase in their own allowances on the back of it is something of which everyone should be aware.

http://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/egov_downloads/23.08.13_-_Finance_and_Policy_Committee_Agenda.pdf

[fred c]

My understanding of this "Deal" was that it would not be implemented until HBC could afford to pay Employees of the council a Living Wage ( A living wage for everyone should be the aim)

Puts into perspective the fact that "The Mob" haven`t condemned Wilcox for not Paying The NMW.

[not4me]

oh but they have Fred when they all, including Wilcox and the Akers-Belchers voted to support:
". . . . we, the Council, condemn any responsible individual (be theymanager, director or trustee) who fails to pay the National Minimum Wage. Such abuses are an a front to justice, both legal and moral, and those individuals should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

They just didn't mean it.

[fred c]

oh but they have Fred when they all, including Wilcox and the Akers-Belchers voted to support:
". . . . we, the Council, condemn any responsible individual (be theymanager, director or trustee) who fails to pay the National Minimum Wage. Such abuses are an a front to justice, both legal and moral, and those individuals should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

They just didn't mean it.

[The Great Dictator]

If it goes through it will cost 6 full time jobs, its your choice.

[marky]

I read of this little labour scam on HTH weeks if not months ago. Seems like they're thinking it's now safe to go ahead.

One extra thing though, I remember when they froze the basic councillor allowance the money 'saved' was put to one side towards the implementation of the living wage. If councillors now increase their own allowances on the back of this, using the same pot of money, then it looks very much like the 'freeze' was nothing but a sham and the increase was no more than deferred. 

[marky]

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/councillors-back-plans-to-boost-pay-of-low-paid-hartlepool-council-workers-1-5981656

Not a mention of the back-door plan to increase councillor's basic allowances on the back of this and why is (councillor) Stubbs acting as the spokesman for this?

[steveL]

Of all the claims made by Labour on their referendum leaflet as to what they could spend the alleged '£1m is savings' arising from doing away with the elected Mayor on, I don't remember increasing the basic councillor allowance being one of them.

Very little money has actually been saved from the switch in governance. The amount allowed in the budget was always inflated and never fully spent - even under Drummond - and it's this underspend which CAB is claiming will fund the living wage.

Note too how Stubbs oddly and very carefully claims that it's unlikely that people will be 'worse off' because of this change yet fails to point out how many will actually be better off. In a lot of cases, an increase in wage will lead directly to a corresponding decrease in benefits like housing benefit.

That won't apply to councillors of course.

During the same meeting, the committee was to discuss what to do about the £4m shortfall in its 2014/15 budget. I doubt if spending another £155,000 is going to help much. 

[testing times]

Have we not passed the point where anyone is prepared to believe any words that come out of this man's mouth. He is a consumate liar - pure and simple.

[fred c]

Peer Group Report

Self Interest of Councillors

Surely Not

[grim reaper]

Fred, Steve, TT etc. it's been proved by the manor election debacle that sitting behind the keyboard will not change a damn thing in this town.

Scum have no thoughts or fears about 'name calling', they simply carry on abusing the public purse. 
I often sit and think just WHAT can we do CONSTRUCTIVELY to rid the town of of the scheming liars?
How can we get the message out there to the general public that, despite the fawning of the Mail to the scabs et al, this town is sinking deeper into the mire, all due to the virtually continuous mis-management of labour drones and rogues. 

I would hazard a guess that 70% of this town are not aware of the MRA-WC/NE scandal and associated scams and lies.

How do we get the message out there that they (we) are being well and truly shafted by conmen? 

And on a slightly different note, what happened to the alleged investigation by the police into the DDA attacks? 
There is something very, very wrong with the whole politico, police, hospital trust scenario in this area.

[marky]

I think the answer to that is to consider where the town would be without people 'sitting behind a keyboard' providing sites like this one. There is a limit to what can be achieved, I agree, but without sites like HTH the occupants of the Civic would have a totally free run. HTH's great strength is that those in power can't control it and that fact alone drives them crazy.

By 'control', I mean for example, the Press Release from HBC about the Peer Group Report which led to the Mail copy/pasting it with the headline 'REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CIVIC STRENGTHS'

It was only after HTH demanded an actual copy of the report and then publishing it on-line that people got to find out what it really said and a week later, The Mail had changed it's tune with a second story headlined 'DAMNING REPORT INTO COUNCIL'

I agree more needs to be done and as I say, use of the Internet can only achieve so much but lets not knock the efforts of those who have already achieved so much by putting it to good use.

[DRiddle]

I think it's also worth remembering that a lot of the 'keyboard warriors' on this site are also amongst the most active politically in the town. Attending meetings, questioning decisions, raising complaints through the right/only channels available, standing for council, canvassing etc.

[steveL]

HTH's role is to provide a channel for people to express their views and to highlight those things that people need to know about. Actual change has to come from outside of HTH. It's silly to say that half a dozen people running the site in their spare time and with families and jobs to think about can bring about change on their own. The site has a role and I like to think it does it pretty well but real change requires people to get off their bums.

[fred c]

They could always get off the Bums on Sunday 1st of September at 10.30am & take an exercise break by walking to The Mayors Parade.....

He has Invited The Residents of Hartleppol

[/i]