Time is money? Big earners’ details delay

Published: 04 June 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

PROMISES to publish the details of all council employees earning over £75,000 have stalled over issues of confidentiality.

A motion by rebel Lib Dem councillor Andrew Cornwell to release online – within one month – the pensions, salaries, expenses and all benefits received by Town Hall staff who are paid more than £75,000, was passed unanimously in April.

But so far, nothing has materialised.

A council spokeswoman said this week the delays were due to the need to consult with the Information Commissioner’s office.

There are concerns about publishing the names of headteachers who may earn over  the £75,000 threshold.

Information on staff with salaries of more than £100,000 was published on the council’s website earlier this year.

Islington Liberal Democrat leader Terry Stacy has written to council chief executive John Foster demanding the salaries are published immediately.

Cllr Stacy said: “Islington residents rightly expect their local council to be upfront about what it pays senior staff. That’s why when Liberal Democrats were in power, we brought in new rules so that senior officers on more than £75,000 had their salary details made public. While information about the highest-paid officers earning more than £100,000 is now in the public domain, there is still a wall of silence around the rest.

“It’s time to stop the stalling. Labour councillors seem to be in no hurry to get this information, preferring instead to waste time and local taxpayers’ money on a new ‘Fairness Commission’.”

An Islington Council spokeswoman said: “The Information Commissioner’s guidelines state that the circumstances of individual employees who would be affected by the publication of this salary list need to be considered.

“This important consultation process has unfortunately led to a delay in the publication of the list, but we expect to have the complete list on the council’s website within the next month.”