Golden Goodbyes
Paul Hutcheon has a good piece in The Herald today - about the cost of 'golden goodbyes' in the civil service.
Apparently, £19 million has been paid out in in early retirement and severance deals - all funded by the taxpayer, of course.
Scottish Labour leader - Iain Gray - wastes no time in jumping on this bandwagon and is reported as saying that some of the sums involved are “eye-watering”.
I have to say I would have more time for the Labour leader - if he was also prepared to jump up and down - about similar practices in local government which includes many Labour controlled councils, of course.
The generous boost given to departing senior officials in Scottish councils - in recent years - would simply dwarf the £19 million paid out by the civil service.
And the scandal is that the practice of adding extra years is really only available to those at the very top of the council tree - who already benefit hugely from the final salary pension arrangement.
Now I haven't heard Iain Gray getting exercised about that - which is a great pity.
Apparently, £19 million has been paid out in in early retirement and severance deals - all funded by the taxpayer, of course.
Scottish Labour leader - Iain Gray - wastes no time in jumping on this bandwagon and is reported as saying that some of the sums involved are “eye-watering”.
I have to say I would have more time for the Labour leader - if he was also prepared to jump up and down - about similar practices in local government which includes many Labour controlled councils, of course.
The generous boost given to departing senior officials in Scottish councils - in recent years - would simply dwarf the £19 million paid out by the civil service.
And the scandal is that the practice of adding extra years is really only available to those at the very top of the council tree - who already benefit hugely from the final salary pension arrangement.
Now I haven't heard Iain Gray getting exercised about that - which is a great pity.
