Police probe launched into Caerphilly pay row – Plaid leader

3:54pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News

Police probe launched into Caerphilly pay row – Plaid leader Police probe launched into Caerphilly pay row – Plaid leader

THE leader of the opposition on Caerphilly council says a police investigation is now underway into a debacle over pay rises for top officers at Caerphilly council.

A Wales Audit Office report, published today, said the way pay rises were decided was unlawful.

Colin Mann, leader of Plaid Cymru at Caerphilly council, said: "Following today’s damning report from the Wales Audit Office, police involvement was inevitable.

"It is right and proper that the serious and unlawful events highlighted at Labour-run Caerphilly council are now being investigated by Avon & Somerset Police.

"Throughout this period, it is important to keep in mind the difficult circumstances that hard-working employees of the council now find themselves in as a result of inept leadership.

There are thousands of dedicated and loyal employees at the council and it is vital that they are not tarnished by this episode."

Comments(16)

Aquarius says...
4:08pm Wed 6 Mar 13

The only proper course of action.

Already there will be hundreds of taxpayers convinced that councillors and officers alike are at best incompetent and at worst possibly corrupt.

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theviking666 says...
5:03pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Good, lets hope its not swept under the carpet

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clive Boon says...
5:08pm Wed 6 Mar 13

For evil men to succeed all it needs is for good men to do nothing,lets.I think those responsible, should all resign if they have any integrity at all

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Aquarius says...
6:45pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Incidentally, I am amused by the gleeful way with which all these goings-on are being reported by those on opposing political parties, don't you?

I think we are all savvy about - and disillusioned enough with - both local and national politics by now to know that there's very little honesty or principle involved with ANY of these political parties.

This sort of thing could just as easily have happened had the council been under Tory, Lib-Dem or Plaid control.

And they would *all* have dealt with it in EXACTLY the same arrogant cack-handed manner as the Labour group are currently doing.

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Grüngemüse says...
7:04pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Lesser beings have been fired for flexi-time infringements by Caerphilly CBC.
All those involved in this £1.5 million unlawful activity should not be given the luxury of resignation but should be fired.

Come to think of it - why do we need a Chief Executive at all? There is enough talent at CCBC to run our affairs without this extravagance.

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gingertom says...
8:13pm Wed 6 Mar 13

They need to establish if all these people who were in line for such rises in the hierachy of ccbc have the relevant qualifications to have the jobs in the first place.
They should have least have a degree and no one should have had a job because of who they know because this has gone on too long in local councils.

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pass the stilsons luv says...
8:19pm Wed 6 Mar 13

who are the other 19 to benifit from this unlawful pay increase ? it's been reported that the payrise was reversed by council, IT HASN'T !! a load of senior management are still having a huge rise ,on the lowest scale point, IE spread over 3 years, instead of one massive pay rise all at once.
So I, a council tax payer, will line the pockets of this shower.

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Davi says...
8:32pm Wed 6 Mar 13

The Councillors present at the secret meeting should be asked to resign from Council ASAP..come on how many would look a gift horse in the mouth when offered a salary increase , it's the Councillors who are to blame not the Officers..And as for Colin Mann he's just upset because he no longer rules the roost and it was one of his Councillors who agreed to the salary increase behind closed doors and now denying his actions.Fussell along with the other Councillors present should resign..

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fairplay1 says...
8:33pm Wed 6 Mar 13

These people think they are above the law. Full investigation is required.

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Grüngemüse says...
9:41pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Gingertom - I would be wary of demanding a degree for higher level jobs. Many of the best people are those who have worked their way up through the ranks. CCBC is already too fond of specifying a degree for jobs that don't really need a degree thus locking out many capable candidates.

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displayed says...
10:06pm Wed 6 Mar 13

"into a debacle over pay rises for top officers at Caerphilly council. "

Look, the great british public voted them in!

Why do they expect them to represent them in decent fair and honest way!

Their living in cuckoo land, if they think that!

Their not the first they wont b the last!

Put em on a pedestal and watch em tumble!

"Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely"

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gingertom says...
10:20pm Wed 6 Mar 13

I agree many good people work themselves through the ranks but some people just get high paid jobs because of their relations or friends influence.
In that instance when a relation of a councillor or officer gets such a job then I hope they would at least have a degree.

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sharon1717 says...
10:27pm Wed 6 Mar 13

One of the people who would have benefitted from this, the director of social services, is now jumping ship to suckle from the richer teat of the welsh assembly government

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Trefor says...
8:59am Thu 7 Mar 13

Suspensions of these senior officers should now apply, as it would if any other officer of the council were investigated by the police for a work related issue.

They should be removed from all council building and warned about having any contact with elected members or staff until the police get to the bottom of it, and possible arrests and charges take place.

If they are not removed now they could potentially contaminate and influence evidence, and, surly they would not want that to happen, would they??

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JWG1967 says...
9:14am Thu 7 Mar 13

The arrogance of the man is astounding.

I understand that the workers who went through a job evaluation process a few years ago were told that they could not market test their wages to other employers.

The vast majority of workers have not had a pay rise in 3 years. Paid leave allowances such as for medical appointments and parental leave have been removed, car allowances slashed yet they think its ok to award themselves pay rises of amounts more than some people earn in a year.

So why is the market forces argument ok for the Directors and not for staff.
Or is it one rule for them and another for the workers ?

I for one have completely lost all respect for the lot of them the directors the unions who just rolled over and the labour councillors.

Just remember labour CCBC is the biggest single employer in the borough and those voters will be expressing their feelings at the next election.

Mr O Sullivan is open and brazen about whole thing. He will tell anyone who listens that he is worth the money and sends an email round the staff where he bleets about the nasty press and quibbles about the meaning of illegal and unlawful.

He taking the mickey out of the councillors, the workers and the voters. Someone stand up, grow a pair and sort it out.

Harry Andrews Gerald jones labour party leaders you are supposed to be labour and on the side of the workers - it doesn't look much like it to me!!!

Otherwise sort out your cvs cos your going to need them.

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county mad says...
12:05pm Thu 7 Mar 13

Aquarius wrote:
Incidentally, I am amused by the gleeful way with which all these goings-on are being reported by those on opposing political parties, don't you?

I think we are all savvy about - and disillusioned enough with - both local and national politics by now to know that there's very little honesty or principle involved with ANY of these political parties.

This sort of thing could just as easily have happened had the council been under Tory, Lib-Dem or Plaid control.

And they would *all* have dealt with it in EXACTLY the same arrogant cack-handed manner as the Labour group are currently doing.
It is amusing that it is nearly always a labour council that allows this sort of eyewatering settlement to occur

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