It's All Falling Apart! (South East Region Liberal Democrats)

South East Region Liberal Democrats <info@southeastlibdems.org.uk>

It's All Falling Apart!

January 14, 2008 4:22 PM

Tory bluster grows today as costs of Adur & Worthing 'workforce merger' soars.

Liberal Democrats have called on Adur and Worthing Conservatives to 'come clean' and admit that their plans for a joint workforce will cost much more than they will save.

Worthing Lib Dem group leader , Councillor Bob Smytherman said,

"Last week we provided evidence that the costs for the workforce merger vastly exceeded the meagre savings that have been identified. We also asked for some facts that would point to future savings plus why they intended to introduce 6 different pay scales. But instead of providing any answers we received nothing but Tory bluster from Worthing Council leader Cllr Mercer saying that the savings originally claimed 'were only guesstimates based on calculations by the Chief Executive'."

Former Adur District Council leader , Martin King added:

"The Chief Executive Ian Lowrie is quoted this week in the national Opportunities magazine published today, describing Councillor Smytherman's comments as 'intensely annoying , demoralising and pathetic'."

"What chance do we have for a constructive, honest discussion when the head of paid services is allowed to ignore the facts and openly insult an elected councillor? Who has ever voted for Ian Lowrie?"

Councillor Smytherman added:

"This week we have seem more unsubstantiated claims of future savings with Councillor Parkin claiming they will save 'up to £4m over the next 3 years' and Ian Lowrie saying they would save £5m over 10 years, but in both cases without a shred of evidence being provided. We have submitted a number of straight forward questions to officers on Worthing council in an attempt to find out how any future savings could materialise and from this it seems that that there is no commitment to implement shared services beyond the existing refuse/recycling collection and street cleaners, perhaps someone

should tell the council leaders?"

Martin King said:

"It is too late for the leader of Worthing Council to claim that the Tories had never promised first year savings of £500,000 when Councillor Parkin had written a letter only last September that appeared in the Shoreham Herald claiming exactly that."

Mr. King added:

"Phasing implementation costs by putting staff onto 6 different pay scales is ridiculous, 5 of these pay scales are all different and all less than 'market levels of competitive pay' the sixth pay scale is for the Chief Executive and Directors which has been positioned above 'market levels of competitive pay' which is outrageous."

Lancing Liberal Democrat Councillor Richard Burt said:

"The truth is the cost of merging the two workforces will greatly exceed any savings so far identified. This means council tax payers will be left to pay the price of this Tory folly?"