The acting chief executive of the LGA has defended its staff pay cut announcement. One in five employees at the LGA,IDeA, LACORS, 4ps, Local Government Employers and Leadership Centre are to receive a pay cut in three years' time, as part of the group's pay equalisation strategy. One LGA employee told The MJ they were expecting a cut of more than 10% of their salary. They said: ‘The IDeA relies on the recruitment of good-quality staff with credibility to support local councils. Does this represent a dumbing-down of the calibre of staff the LGA hopes to recruit in the future?' Acting LGA chief executive, John Ransford, denied now was a bad time to announce salary cuts to staff. He said: ‘There is no perfect time for this and I don't see any timing problem. This process is similar to what councils have been doing with single status. We have been at this for quite a few months and the point we are at now of consulting with staff. There are difficulties right across the board with the economic downturn. I can understand people being concerned.'
