Our latest research reveals that the number of middle managers at Midlands councils (defined as those receiving £50,000 a year or more excluding pension contributions) has gone up - despite a public sector pay freeze and widespread redundancies amongst lower-paid staff.
Click here to read the report, including a full breakdown by local council
The key findings of this research are:
- The estimated total bill for local authority staff in the Midlands on £50,000-plus remuneration packages was over £465 million in 2010-11
- This is an increase of more than 14 per cent since 2009-10
- The number of staff on £50,000-plus packages has increased by 759 in the last financial year – from 6,474 in 2009-10 to 7,265 in 2010-11. This is an increase of more than 12 per cent
- Some of this increase can partly be explained by a rise in the number receiving significant redundancy payments. When stated redundancies are subtracted, the increase is still 8 per cent
- Nottinghamshire County Council paid 679 staff £50,000 or more in 2010-11, an increase of 202 from 2009-10. This cost local taxpayers over £45 million, or £58 per head of local population
- Warwickshire County Council and Worcestershire County Council cover very similar-sized populations, but Warwickshire had over 4 times as many staff on £50,000 or more than Worcestershire
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council spent £99.41 per head of local population on employees on £50,000 or more, the highest in the Midlands
- Nottinghamshire County Council and Derbyshire County Council also cover very similar-sized populations, but Nottinghamshire had nearly 5 times as many staff on £50,000 or more as Derbyshire
- Birmingham City Council spent nearly than £37 million on employees who earn £50,000 or more in 2010-11
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Leicestershire County Council, which covers nearly 400,000 fewer residents than Birmingham, spent nearly £35 million
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Shropshire Council increased the number of staff on £50,000-plus by 95 in the last financial year, and the cost rose from £11 million to nearly £18 million
- Sandwell Council’s spend on staff on £50,000-plus rose from £6.7 million to £11.4 million in 2010-11
- North East Derbyshire District Council more than doubled its spend on staff on £50,000-plus in 2010-11
Click here to read the report, including a full breakdown by local council
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
“It is disappointing to see so many middle managers at Midlands councils, particularly at a time when public sector pay is being restrained and low paid staff are being laid off. It’s not fair to demand that ordinary workers take a pay freeze or lose their jobs while more and more middle managers are enjoying generous remuneration. Councils need to cut back the bloated bureaucracies that have developed in town halls in recent years. Taxpayers in places like Stoke-on-Trent will be particularly disappointed that their local authority claims it has no alternative but to increase Council Tax but goes on to spend so much on employing so many high earners.”
Our latest research reveals that the number of middle managers at Midlands councils (defined as those receiving £50,000 a year or more excluding pension contributions) has gone up - despite a public sector pay freeze and widespread redundancies amongst lower-paid staff.
Click here to read the report, including a full breakdown by local council
The key findings of this research are:
- The estimated total bill for local authority staff in the Midlands on £50,000-plus remuneration packages was over £465 million in 2010-11
- This is an increase of more than 14 per cent since 2009-10
- The number of staff on £50,000-plus packages has increased by 759 in the last financial year – from 6,474 in 2009-10 to 7,265 in 2010-11. This is an increase of more than 12 per cent
- Some of this increase can partly be explained by a rise in the number receiving significant redundancy payments. When stated redundancies are subtracted, the increase is still 8 per cent
- Nottinghamshire County Council paid 679 staff £50,000 or more in 2010-11, an increase of 202 from 2009-10. This cost local taxpayers over £45 million, or £58 per head of local population
- Warwickshire County Council and Worcestershire County Council cover very similar-sized populations, but Warwickshire had over 4 times as many staff on £50,000 or more than Worcestershire
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council spent £99.41 per head of local population on employees on £50,000 or more, the highest in the Midlands
- Nottinghamshire County Council and Derbyshire County Council also cover very similar-sized populations, but Nottinghamshire had nearly 5 times as many staff on £50,000 or more as Derbyshire
- Birmingham City Council spent nearly than £37 million on employees who earn £50,000 or more in 2010-11
-
Leicestershire County Council, which covers nearly 400,000 fewer residents than Birmingham, spent nearly £35 million
-
Shropshire Council increased the number of staff on £50,000-plus by 95 in the last financial year, and the cost rose from £11 million to nearly £18 million
- Sandwell Council’s spend on staff on £50,000-plus rose from £6.7 million to £11.4 million in 2010-11
- North East Derbyshire District Council more than doubled its spend on staff on £50,000-plus in 2010-11
Click here to read the report, including a full breakdown by local council
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
“It is disappointing to see so many middle managers at Midlands councils, particularly at a time when public sector pay is being restrained and low paid staff are being laid off. It’s not fair to demand that ordinary workers take a pay freeze or lose their jobs while more and more middle managers are enjoying generous remuneration. Councils need to cut back the bloated bureaucracies that have developed in town halls in recent years. Taxpayers in places like Stoke-on-Trent will be particularly disappointed that their local authority claims it has no alternative but to increase Council Tax but goes on to spend so much on employing so many high earners.”