Cut bosses' pay (From The Northern Echo)

Cut bosses' pay

10:55am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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RE your article in which Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Freitag suggests those Darlington Borough Council staff on earnings in excess of £80,000 should take a ten per cent pay cut as part of a package to reduce costs (Echo, some editions, March 10).

The leader of the Labour-run authority, Councillor John Williams, dismisses this on the grounds that it is an attempt at generating publicity for the Liberal Democrats, and that the sensible people of Darlington will not be taken in by this.

Even if this were the case, I for one would welcome such a gesture.

At a time when the council is apparently going to great lengths to trim its budget and is laying off staff to save money, surely it has occurred to those who have accepted the responsibility of managing the public finances, and who are paid wages far in excess of their day-to-day needs, that they too might share some of the burden.

Geoff Hill, Darlington.

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Freitag’s call for top officials of Darlington Borough Council to take a pay cut.

I was appalled earlier in the year when the council was deciding to cut lower paid workers jobs – ie, Street Scene, bin men, etc, people who do a good job for the whole of the community.

When senior executives are earning more in one year than these people would take nearly a decade to earn £150,000 – the differentials are far too great.

The council’s Labour leader, Councillor John Williams, stated that Coun Freitag was electioneering. No, he is doing what he was elected to do – looking out for the people he was chosen to represent.

Mrs A Lea, Darlington.