Number of bumper golden goodbyes at councils soars
THE number of gold-plated sixfigure payoffs handed out to staff by councils has soared.
More than £135million of ‘golden goodbye’ payments have been issued by local authorities over the past two years.
The number of officials receiving payments worth £100,000 or more has increased from 152 in 2016-17 to 171 in 2017-18.
The payouts come at a time when councils have been locked in dispute with the Scottish Government over real-terms funding cuts.
Alexander Stewart, local government spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said: ‘It beggars belief that the amount of six-figure sums paid out have significantly increased.’
Fife Council spent most on payoff deals. It handed 235 staff deals costing £11.7 million, including 34 deals worth £100,000-plus.
This was followed by Aberdeen City Council, which handed 246 staff deals worth £11.29million, including 38 six-figure sums.
But the total value of deals handed out actually reduced, from £72.7million in 2016-17 to £67.1million in 2017-18.
Eileen Rowand, executive director at Fife Council, said: ‘We have reduced our workforce by around 12 per cent since 2010.’
A spokesman for local government body Cosla said: ‘This is about spending now to save in the longer term.’