ALL 539 workers at Eastbourne Borough Council have been given a FREE extra day's holiday.
It is a 'BONUS' for the council being marked 'good' in a recent assessment.
A political storm has erupted, with opposition Tories calling it a scandal.
They estimate it cost taxpayers £30,000.
Tory Ian Lucas said, 'This is a very strange decision. In the same month as
20 redundancies were announced, the LibDems authorise an extra day's leave.
'If the council can run effectively on 539 manned days less a year, either there could have been more redundancies or a further loss of efficiency in the council, leading to tax rises or poorer services.'The insensitivity of this, at the same time as making job cuts and council tax rises, is scandalous.
'There is stacks of waste, poor efficiency and red tape at the Town Hall.'
But council leader Beryl Healy hit back, saying it would have been 'dreadfully
mean' not to have rewarded staff. She said that council workers did not enjoy
the same privileges as private employers.
She added that other local authorities have done the same. She said it was a
one-off bonus, and a reward for the success of the assessment.
Leader of the Conservatives, Graham Marsden, said, 'LibDems, not Conservatives,
make all decisions because they are in control of the council.
The leader of the council did not consult with me prior to her announcement
at the last Cabinet meeting, nor would I expect her to do so. 'I was made aware
of the decision through attending a regular meeting I have with the chief executive.
'He keeps me informed on issues relating to council business that are not confidential
to the controlling group's future plans. 'It is inappropriate to comment on
such decisions with an officer, rather to clarify the context. I questioned
him as to how other local authorities were reacting to their results. 'At a
time when residents are facing another inflation busting council tax increase
and council staff are being made redundant, it is bizarre that staff should
receive an extra day's leave.
'Since the announcement, staff working for the council have asked me what would
have happened if the report's result had been poor instead of good? I wonder
what the punishment would have been?' We have since learnt East Sussex County
Council has done the same for its 14,500 staff. But the day had to be taken
over the Christmas period.
Tory leader Peter Jones defended the decision and said it had cost the council
very little.Any time lost was soon made up, he said. The county council has
moved up from 'weak' to 'good.' Both councils have set huge council tax rises
in the past two years.