Twelve chief executives in London local authorities received a pay rise in 2010/2011 research reveals. Whilst some chief executives took a pay cut or froze their annual income, others saw fit to take a hefty rise despite earning over £100,000.
It has also been revealed that the average remuneration received by council chief executives in London in 2010/11 actually fell by 4% compared with the previous year, but that in twelve councils, their remuneration actually rose. Pay has also become less equal due to a growth of 6% in the number of staff paid more than £150,000, which is roughly ten times the London Living Wage.
Darren Johnson, Green Party London Assembly Member said:-
"I’m sure every London resident will welcome the slight drop in top pay in our councils, and applaud the four councils who slashed their newly recruited chief exec’s pay. But it beggars belief that some councils were awarding pay rises to chief executives and paying more staff extremely high salaries when huge cuts were looming.
"Research has shown that more equal societies are generally happier and healthier with less violent crime. So all employers with big pay gaps should be freezing or reducing very high salaries, and lifting pay for people on very low incomes by signing up to the London Living Wage."
Editors Notes
The main findings of the research, based on each council’s 2010/11 Statement of Accounts, are as follows.
High pay – there has been a 6% growth in the number of staff paid more than £150,000.
Chief exec pay – there has been a 4% fall in the average chief executive remuneration.
Low pay – in a survey carried out in May, Darren found that only six councils had taken steps to pay the London Living Wage to all its workers including subcontracted cleaners, carers, etc. They were: Ealing, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets (all now paying the living wage on some contracts); Islington (who brought cleaning in house to pay the living wage); Southwark and Haringey (who have adopted a policy but not yet changed any contracts).
For a full breakdown of the figures by borough, email london.media@greenparty.org.uk