Wychavon District Council plans big pay rises for senior managers
A Worcestershire council has defended plans to increase the pay of five of its senior managers by up to 15%.
Conservative-controlled Wychavon District Council is having to make £2m in budget cuts.
Paul Middlebrough, the council leader, said: "This is a fair approach because the jobs they are doing have changed fairly significantly."
Esther Lowe from the Unison union said the rises would leave other workers "very annoyed and angry".
Under the proposals the maximum salary for the managing director would increase from £107,004 to £115,000.
The maximum salary for the deputy managing director would be increased to £90,000, from £77,971.
The proposed rises would cost £74,000 over the next three years.
Ms Lowe said: "I have to say that it is very bad timing indeed - workers, and particularly low paid staff, haven't really received many benefits in the last year at all."
The council said it sought independent advice from the director of employer services for West Midlands Councils before it made the decision.
The director had concluded that the salaries for the two most senior posts at Wychavon District Council were 5% behind the national average.
The council said that at a time when it faces "unprecedented challenges" it was important to do "everything possible" to retain the services of its managing director and his deputy.
Mr Middlebrough said: "I'm afraid in terms of the market now these are the amounts of money you have to pay for head teachers, GPs, and for managing directors of councils."
If approved the new pay grades will take effect in October.