Council to vote on Arun chief's £6,000 pay rise as opposition mounts

Arun Unison branch secretary Brian Walter said increasing chief executive Nigel Lynn’s wage from £110,603 to £117,011 would eclipse any rise for ‘hard-working’ staff.

Mr Walter, who will address councillors before they vote on the increase on Wednesday, said: “More than two thirds of staff at Arun are already at the top of their grade, having remained loyal to the council, and can expect no further pay rises except for the series of zero or below inflation cost of living rises.

“The chief executive will never deliver his targets without the hard work of all staff, who sadly will never experience pay rises of £6,000.

“At a time when the council is planning to make millions of pounds of savings and hard-pressed council tax payers are struggling, pay increases of this magnitude are just not right.”

The proposed increase includes a three per cent peformance-related boost, after Mr Lynn was adjudged in his appraisal to have performed ‘exceptionally’.

The chief executive’s remuneration committee also recommended a £3,000 lump sum to bring his salary more into line with heads of other comparative councils.

The committee’s Conservative councillors and single UKIP member supported the increase.

But the recommendation was opposed by Liberal Democrat councillor Dr James Walsh.

The Lib Dems plan to oppose the 5.79 per cent rise, instead calling for an increase of just one per cent.

A party spokesman said: “This is not about the chief executive himself. This is about doing the right thing on behalf of local people.

“That’s why we will be moving an amendment at this Wednesday’s council meeting, calling for a one per cent pay rise in line with all other Arun council workers.”

Supporting the increase at the remuneration committee meeting, Tory councillor Terry Chapman said the chief executive was in a unique position as head of the paid service.

He added the one per cent rise for all staff did not take account of incremental increases many employees would get.

Mr Walter said he would ask Arun leader Gill Brown to reject the assertion.

The council will meet in public from 6pm on Wednesday (January 11), at the civic centre in Maltravers Road, Littlehampton.