Fat cat rises for council bosses.

Byline: ALEX HICKEY

THE HEAD of education in Gwynedd is in line for a near 11% pay rise - that's nearly pounds 7,000 a year of public cash.

Dewi Jones is among eight senior managers in line for salary hikes of between 5.25% and 10.78% - in total costing the taxpayer an extra pounds 41,000 a year.

It come as Mr Jones's education department is proposing to close or merge primary schools across the county.

Gwynedd is also preparing to make pounds 16m worth of cuts to other services.

And there are fears of further tough times ahead, after the county this week won a below average 1.1% revenue support grant increase from the Welsh Assembly Government.

The proposed pay rises, for eight of Gwynedd's top 17 bureaucrats, all well exceed the current UK inflation rate, which is around 1.6%.

All eight are departmental heads currently on salaries ranging from pounds 58,311 to pounds 68,598 and would see rises equivalent to around pounds 3,000 and pounds 7,000 each. Last night critics branded the rises "insensitive and unacceptable", at a time when nationally, chancellor Alistair Darling has announced a planned pay freeze for all public sector managers.

But council chief executive Harry Thomas defended the plan, which comes in the wake of an independent review into executive pay carried out by the Hay Group.

Mr Thomas has stepped back from the report's main recommendation of implementing a formal pay policy across the board for managers - at least for this year.

If that happened in future, it would give 12 more managers significant pay increases, and boost Mr Thomas's pounds 108,264 salary by between 13.58 and 19.5% (around pounds 14,700 to pounds 21,000).

Mr Thomas defended the plan for this year, pointing out Mr Jones's pay increase meant he would still be paid 20% below the highest paid headteachers in the county.

He stressed the rises would align senior manager's salaries with the median market Chief executive Harry Thomas rate for the public sector across the UK, as part of the final stage of the UK-wide equal pay review.

They're designed to ensure the council is offering competitive market rates.

For its part the council believes the current pay scale has to be amended and says it will still save pounds 1m from the restructuring.

A council spokeswoman defended the decision, arguing that the current set-up was not "sustainable" as it had to address the equal pay issue for all staff at all levels.

According to Mr Thomas in his report, the cost of Gwynedd's senior management would remain the lowest in North Wales and lower than the average for all Welsh councils.

"If the council does not address this issue there is a real possibility that contractual problems could arise as some individuals may feel that the extra responsibilities are equivalent to a material change in their employment circumstances."

"However I recognise that moving to this pay policy for all posts with immediate effect, could be difficult given today's economic climate," he said.

The proposals are due to be discussed by councillors on Thursday.

Who gets what? Role (Head) Current salary Proposed Salary Increase Social services: Gwen Carrington pounds 68,598 pounds 72,200 pounds 3,602 (5.25%) Education: Dewi Jones pounds 65,169 pounds 72,200 pounds 7,031 (10.78%) Customer care: Gwenan Parry pounds 58,311 pounds 65,169 pounds 6,858 (10.59%) Regulatory: Aled Davies pounds 58,311 pounds 65,169 pounds 6,858 (10.59%) Economy & community: Sioned Willi -ams pounds 58,311 pounds 65,169 pounds 6,858 (10.59%) Provider & leisure: Morwena Edwards pounds 61,740 pounds 65,169 pounds 3,429 (5.55%) Human resources: Alwyn E Jones pounds 61,740 pounds 65,169 pounds 3,429 (5.55%) Strategic & improvement: Geraint George pounds 61,740 pounds 65,169 pounds 3,429 (5.55%)

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Chief executive Harry Thomas Gwynedd Council offices at Caernarfon