How much does it cost to change a light bulb ?

[Mr.Everready]

Bloody disgrace, no wonder the rates are going through the roof and less and less services are being done.


How much does it cost to change a light bulb? -- "A lot" is the answer if you are a taxpayer in Birmingham. Over 90,000 pounds in fact.


A furious row has erupted over the news that a council street and traffic lights engineer received 91,000 pounds for 2005/2006 including overtime bonuses -- even though he was off sick.


The average pay in Britain is about 23,000 pounds a year.


Birmingham City Council's Alan Rudge said he intended to stamp out the practice of workers getting bloated pay packets.

"This is a throwback to employment practice which is outdated and we cannot just stand still," he added in a statement.


Christine Melsom of the Is It Fair? campaign group, which wants to scrap the current council tax system, said she feared the problem might be endemic among local authorities.


"I really think this is probably just the tip of the iceberg," she told BBC radio. "How many more are there in other councils across the country?"


Earlier this month, Birmingham council came under fire when news leaked that some road workers -- whose job was to paint white lines on the city's streets -- earned 1,000 pounds a week.
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the undemocratically unelected mod of the Scottish section

[Resurrection]

[byke95]

[Bella]

I have to disagree with you there mate, it makes me sick to think that all the taxes and other fees that the average person pays to the councils and government can end up going to someone who is unskilled and even worse is on long term sick leave. £90,000!!! when you think about how the councils are ALWAYS saying they need more money for hospitals/schools/rubbish collections you name it they will say they dont have the funds available and yet they are paying ridiculous amounts of money to someone who is not even working! Personally I think whoever was responsible for this happening should lose their job as they are clearly not doing it!!

I have no time for anyone who attempts to play the system that leave so many honest people desperate and broke in the first place.

Sorry rant over...

[Annabella]

So someone on sick leave isn't entitled to pay anymore?


Sadly the media does not know the circumstances of this particular employees illness and have done a wonderfully sensational story which I am sure has been exaggerated.

Clearly the job this guy was doing was a little more complex than changing light bulbs to be earning £71,000. That is a directors wage, and as he is probably still responsible (despite being off sick) for his directorate. We don't know if he is still managing a certain amount of strategy and finance from his sick bed...
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Avast! Pirates ahoy!
I did Cadwell!
www.bikepics.com/members/bella

[Bella]

True, the actual details of the story are not known, if the guy is still fullfilling his responsibilities then fair enough.

I use to work for a company that created medico-legal reports for employers/insurers on people on long term sick leave and unfortunately a large proportion of them were perfectly fine so I guess this influences my opinion whenever I hear of someone off work for long periods of time.

[Annabella]

If Birmingham City Council are using the system currently in place at Wolverhampton then previous sickness records as well as type of illness are used to evaluate likelihood of return to work, and also used to make a decision as to whether full pay should be dropped to SSP and if disciplinary action is required.

Alternatively, there could just be some muppet in payroll who has cocked up.
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Avast! Pirates ahoy!
I did Cadwell!
www.bikepics.com/members/bella

[Bella]

If it is just a muppet then they can come and work in my payrol department, I could do with £90,000 a year!!!!!

[phatstorage]

let the indian woman change the bulb!

https://aishwaryarai.ewestpost.com/pictures/Aishwarya-Rai-Dancing-Commonwealth-Games-1.jpg