TRADE UNIONISTS, at last Saturday's meeting of the Greater Manchester County Association of Trade Union Councils, were spitting blood about the decision last month to agree a rise in Councillor's allowances of some 34% at the Rochdale full council meeting. The feeling was that this plays into the hands of Ukip and is a kick in the teeth to the trade unions and rank and file workers.
A delegate from Manchester TUC said that he thought the councilors generally were so cynical that other Councils like Manchester City Council would have rubber-stamped the rise in the same way as the Rochdale councilors did.
It seems that local politicians round here are on a race to the top, which most of the rest of us are on a race to the bottom. Not only do we have Simon Danczuk MP for Rochdale, almost boasting about coining-in his expenses, but he has also a side-line with a photographic company FameFlynet Pictures to grab more.
Now, according to Lib Dem activist, David Hennigan; the Rochdale Council Leader and cynic-in-Chief Richard Farnell, has told his Council Group that people will 'forget this very quickly' Is there an unholy alliance on Rochdale Council with the Tories voting with the Labour Party on the race to the top in councilor's stipends?
Not all Tories it seems are in agreement with what's going on and Rob McLean, a Conservative member in Healey has come up with the idea of writing to all councillors in the Borough with a list of questions. See: http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/107424/pressure-increases-on-councillors-to-justify-34pc-allowance-increase
Meanwhile, Dave Hennigan writes: 'As you may or may not know - the Lib Dems in this Borough are leading the campaign against this. You can sign our petition' : here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-34-rmbc-councillor-s-allowance-rise-until-reduction-of-councilors
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