Leeds pensioner fired for revealing the truth on senior pay

Last year, when I campaigned against a £364K payment East Riding of Yorkshire Council was about to pay Sue Lockwood’s pension pot, I highlighted we would not have known about this payment if it hadn’t been for someone leaking the story to the Yorkshire Post. The council was determined to keep this story under wraps.

This month – in our non-job of the week feature - I have highlighted two London councils who are willing to pay six-figure sums for parking managers. We don’t know who these councils are, because they are using a recruitment agency. Once again we see councils hiding the truth from council taxpayers.

It’s the same old story in Leeds. We were contacted by Maurice Scott, a 79 year-old retired firefighter. He is the embodiment of the ‘Big Society’ in action, serving as an unpaid director for West North West Homes, one of three Arm’s Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) which run Leeds’ 50,000 Council homes on behalf of Leeds City Council. When he found out three senior employees were about to receive a pay rise – when other employees had had their pay frozen – he complained to the leader of the council and the chief whip. The result: he’s getting fired for a breach of confidence!

This is what Cllr Alison Lowe, chair of WNW Homes standards committee had to say in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

 “This is an internal matter and it is being dealt with appropriately according to policy. West North West Homes has transparent, open staffing policies which we would be pleased to share on request.”

If WNW Homes is a transparent organisation, why has it decided to fire Mr Scott?  Re-read my opening two paragraphs. We know councils are constantly trying to hide large pay packets and big payments, but as this is an arm’s-length limited company, there isn’t an obligation for WNW Homes to publish the individual salaries of senior staff. If you look at its accounts for 2009/10 all you will see is the total employee wage bill. For Cllr Lowe’s statement to have any validity, you would have to know three senior employees had received pay rises. The only way you would know is if you were a director, and if you communicate this information – even to the leader of the council – you face the sack.

I have spoken to Mr Scott, and he quite rightly feels he has done nothing wrong. He feels it is his duty to let the public know how their money is being spent. Naturally, we agree with him, and give him our full support.

View the original article here

Leeds pensioner fired for revealing the truth on senior pay

Last year, when I campaigned against a £364K payment East Riding of Yorkshire Council was about to pay Sue Lockwood’s pension pot, I highlighted we would not have known about this payment if it hadn’t been for someone leaking the story to the Yorkshire Post. The council was determined to keep this story under wraps.

This month – in our non-job of the week feature - I have highlighted two London councils who are willing to pay six-figure sums for parking managers. We don’t know who these councils are, because they are using a recruitment agency. Once again we see councils hiding the truth from council taxpayers.

It’s the same old story in Leeds. We were contacted by Maurice Scott, a 79 year-old retired firefighter. He is the embodiment of the ‘Big Society’ in action, serving as an unpaid director for West North West Homes, one of three Arm’s Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) which run Leeds’ 50,000 Council homes on behalf of Leeds City Council. When he found out three senior employees were about to receive a pay rise – when other employees had had their pay frozen – he complained to the leader of the council and the chief whip. The result: he’s getting fired for a breach of confidence!

This is what Cllr Alison Lowe, chair of WNW Homes standards committee had to say in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

 “This is an internal matter and it is being dealt with appropriately according to policy. West North West Homes has transparent, open staffing policies which we would be pleased to share on request.”

If WNW Homes is a transparent organisation, why has it decided to fire Mr Scott?  Re-read my opening two paragraphs. We know councils are constantly trying to hide large pay packets and big payments, but as this is an arm’s-length limited company, there isn’t an obligation for WNW Homes to publish the individual salaries of senior staff. If you look at its accounts for 2009/10 all you will see is the total employee wage bill. For Cllr Lowe’s statement to have any validity, you would have to know three senior employees had received pay rises. The only way you would know is if you were a director, and if you communicate this information – even to the leader of the council – you face the sack.

I have spoken to Mr Scott, and he quite rightly feels he has done nothing wrong. He feels it is his duty to let the public know how their money is being spent. Naturally, we agree with him, and give him our full support.

View the original article here

Senior Economist on Food: We Could “Certainly” See Social Unrest in Parts of the Developed World

For years the mainstream economists and media pundits ignored the trend. Now that it cannot be hidden from view any longer, it’s all of a sudden become a huge news story.

While we, and those in alternative news circles like us, are regularly referred to as fear mongers and doomsdayers, now that the mainstream is on board, it’s become credible news. Whatever the case, we hope that those who denied the analysis and assessments put forth by non-mainstream sources over the last several years will finally come around and realize that maybe, just to be on the safe side, stocking up on some reserve foods and other preparedness items may not be as bad of a tin foil hat wearing idea as originally thought.

The latest warnings for the Western world, thus far immune to uprisings resulting from high food costs and supply problems, come from senior global economist Karen Ward of HSBC:

Even in the developed world I think we have very, very low wage growth, so people aren’t getting more in their pay packet to compensate them for food and energy, and I think we could see social unrest certainly in parts of the developed world and the UK as well.

 

Ms. Ward refers to the situation resulting from high food costs and inability to put food on the family table as leading to “social unrest.” This is just a feel-good mainstream word for what we often refer to as Riots. Unless we see a change in the years’ long trend of rising food costs, “social unrest” is coming to a neighborhood near you – sooner rather than later.

Hat tip YourDaddy

View the original article here