Local Government
Non-job of the week
Ealing Council is advertising for a new Media Officer paying £144.00 – £148.34 per hour. At least that’s what the advert says. Having checked with the council, I can confirm the figures quoted are the daily rate, and not the hourly rate. The council told me they have informed the recruitment agency of the error, [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Non-job of the week
Last week I wrote about a major management reorganisation at Hull City Council. The council leader, Cllr Steve Brady, said he was looking to make at least £1 million in savings. He also added that the council has ‘a top-heavy structure’ which needs to be addressed. This is good to hear (although we don’t know [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Savings in Hull and North Lincolnshire
No sooner had the votes been counted and the lights turned off at the Guildhall, Hull City Council leader, Cllr Steve Brady made an announcement on BBC Radio Humberside. He announced a reorganisation of management, with immediate effect, and stated the council had gone into a 30-day consultation with senior management and were looking for [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Savings in Hull and North Lincolnshire
No sooner had the votes been counted and the lights turned off at City Hall, Hull City Council leader, Cllr Steve Brady made an announcement on BBC Radio Humberside. He announced a reorganisation of management, with immediate effect, and stated the council had gone into a 30-day consultation with senior management and were looking for a [...] Read the rest of this entry »
East Riding fortnightly bin collection trial
Some council taxpayers in the East Riding of Yorkshire are being forced to take part in a fortnightly rubbish collection trial. The council says this is to encourage recycling and it is what residents want, but when you delve deeper into the subject, all is not what the council wants us to believe. According to the East [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Misleading Unison response to our report on council pension deficits
Unison make three points in response to our report this morning on the black hole in council pensions. They pretend that there is something wrong with us “comparing liabilities to assets”; try to play down the cost to taxpayers; and cite the same misleading ‘average’ public sector pensions figure they always cite when the high [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Misleading Unison response to our report on council pension deficits
Unison make three points in response to our report this morning on the black hole in council pensions. They pretend that there is something wrong with us “comparing liabilities to assets”; try to play down the cost to taxpayers; and cite the same misleading ‘average’ public sector pensions figure they always cite when the high [...] Read the rest of this entry »
COMMENT: Staring into the public sector pensions abyss
Writing for Public Service Europe, Emma Boon argues that the £54 billion deficit in local government pensions isn’t going away without reform of council pension funds. If you have ever worried about not paying your credit card off at the end of the month or lost some sleep over an overdraft, then spare a thought for the [...] Read the rest of this entry »
New Research: £54 billion black hole in council pension schemes revealed
Includes breakdown of every council’s pension deficit The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) today reveals that councils across the UK had a combined pension deficit of £54 billion in 2010-11. The assets of all 101 local authority pension funds in the UK are dwarfed by their liabilities, creating a deficit which taxpayers are ultimately liable for. CLICK HERE TO READ THE [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Non-job of the week
Lambeth Borough Council is looking for a Customer Experience Improvement Officer in Parking Services. According to the job advert, the successful applicant “will maximise customer engagement; undertake all aspects of quality assurance to ensure our services meet the needs of our customers; proactively engage with all service users and stakeholders to critically assess the service; [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Non-job of the week
Lambeth Borough Council is looking for a Customer Experience Improvement Officer in Parking Services. According to the job advert, the successful applicant “will maximise customer engagement; undertake all aspects of quality assurance to ensure our services meet the needs of our customers; proactively engage with all service users and stakeholders to critically assess the service; [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Non-job of the week
In January last year, it was reported in The Guardian that Camden Council, along with others like Lambeth, were displaying posters in bus shelters informing residents that cuts to services were a result of cuts in government grants. In a propaganda war, using taxpayers money, those councils were trying to convince us there wasn’t any [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Non-job of the week
Surrey County Council was one of those councils who recently increased council tax. We have commented many times on how Surrey wastes taxpayers’ cash, so perhaps it was not unexpected the council increased the tax burden on its residents. Now the council is looking for a Development Manager as, to quote the job advertisement, “It’s [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Non-job of the week
Surrey County Council was one of those councils who recently increased council tax. We have commented many times on how Surrey wastes taxpayers’ cash, so perhaps it was not unexpected the council increased the tax burden on its residents. Now the council is looking for a Development Manager as, to quote the job advertisement, “It’s [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Council openly advertising union jobs
Reading Borough Council’s Directorate of Corporate Resources is looking for a new Administrative Assistant. Not interesting on a first glance, but when you read the advertisement you realise it is not council taxpayers in Reading who are benefiting. We are seeking an organised and reliable person to provide administrative and clerical support at our UNISON [...] Read the rest of this entry »
High sickness levels at Hull City Council
Last year the leader of Hull City Council, Cllr Steve Brady, said he was in talks with the unions to reduce the number of sick days taken by staff. Looking back at notes I made at a full council meeting, he said current sick absences must be reduced from the current 6% to 3%. A [...] Read the rest of this entry »
View across East Kent: Garden Waste Collections
In Shepway the garden waste collection service is comparatively new – and they have always charged extra for it. In Canterbury it is free, and they have just decided to keep it so – though there is a charge for people requiring extra sacks for large amounts. Dover, however, is a different matter. The service – [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Stockton on Tees Council raises council tax by 3.5%
Referendum dodging Stockton on Tees Borough Council last night voted through a 3.49% council tax increase. If the proposed increase had been just 0.02% higher, this would have triggered a referendum where local residents would have had their say. Councillors want us to believe they rejected the offer of a government grant (worth the equivalent [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Non-job of the week
Two weeks ago, one of my non-jobs was a Senior Travel Awareness Officer in Enfield. This week Darlington Borough Council is searching for a Local Motion Travel Advisor. According to the job description the successful applicant ‘will provide information and advice on walking, cycling and using buses and trains. Much of this work will involve [...] Read the rest of this entry »
Non-job of the week
Two weeks ago, one of my non-jobs was a Senior Travel Awareness Officer in Enfield. This week Darlington Borough Council is searching for a Local Motion Travel Advisor. According to the job description the successful applicant ‘will provide information and advice on walking, cycling and using buses and trains. Much of this work will involve [...] Read the rest of this entry »
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