The number of Fife Council employees paid more than £50,000 has rocketed by almost 65% over the last four years.
Independent councillor Bryan Poole condemned the increase and insisted there was a “moral imperative” on high-paid staff to “share the pain” of cuts.
Figures obtained by The Courier show that nearly 300 members of staff at the cash-strapped authority now receive £50,000 or more per year, compared to just 177 in 2007.
The latest revelations come as fall-out from The Courier’s exclusive freedom of information probe into the council’s soaring wage bill continues.
Figures have shown how council salaries rose by more than £46m over the last five years.
Some staff at the upper end of the pay-scale had received raises of almost 25%.
Public services in Fife have been severely affected by cuts recently last month radical cost-cutting measures resulted in the authority voting to sell off all council-run care homes.
Meanwhile, efforts to balance the books also saw the region’s ruling SNP-Lib Dem coalition outlining more than £11 million worth of new cuts.
Latest figures show that, in 2007, some 145 employees earned between £50,000 and £75,000. By 2011, that figure had risen to 252.
Over the same period, those earning between £75,000 and £99,999 a year rose from 25 to 32 and the number earning £100,000 or more from seven to eight.
Council chiefs have been at pains to stress that annual increments and national pay awards have played a significant part in the increase.
They also point out that many employees lower down the scale have also received rises.
However, Mr Poole is among those concerned by the number of high earners at the council.ResponsibilityHe said, “In large organisations there is a responsibility on those in leadership positions to be setting an example.
“For me it is not just about saving money from high earners. Rather it is about those high earners setting an example.”
Mr Poole believes lower-paid workers are losing out as the number of high earners expands.
“The fact is that there has been a significant number of Fife Council employees who, because of national agreements, have had their salary frozen and/or reduced over the last four years,” he said.
“Many of those employees are on low wages certainly below the national average.”
He added, “Personally I think there is a moral imperative on leaders to show an example and share the pain.
“These latest figures indicate that, instead of ‘sharing the pain,’ those high-earning posts have increased.”AgreementWhen contacted by The Courier, council chiefs pointed out that salary increases are agreed nationally between the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and trade unions.
A statement said, “A total of 87 out of the 115 staff earning more than £50,000 in 2011 compared to 2007 are headteachers and deputy heads.
“Headteachers and depute heads on the national salary scale will have had salary settlements and incremental increases during that time.”
It added, “There is no doubt that these are large salaries and equally no doubt that the headteachers and deputes carry out difficult jobs of great importance to our youngsters and to the communities, while managing large numbers of staff.
“In other services the increases of salary are due to incremental progress and to organisational restructuring.”
Depute council leader Liz Riches said, “Councillor Poole calls for high earners to set an example.
“I am sure he is well aware of the ongoing negotiations with the teaching profession at the moment.
“The EIS has balloted its members as to whether they would consider strike action.”
She added, “It would be unwise to comment further on the likely outcome of those negotiations.”
Picture courtesy of Stewart Lloyd Jones.