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A recent review of local authority leaders’ pay in Scotland has led to significant salary increases for the chief executives of the country’s four smallest councils. According to information obtained by BBC News, these council heads in Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, and Clackmannanshire are set to receive raises of up to 24%, exceeding £30,000 each. This adjustment comes as part of a newly agreed pay framework, developed jointly by Cosla, the representative body for councils, and Alace, the organization representing senior local government officers.
The revised salary structure links remuneration to council size, setting pay bands from £165,755 to £230,620. For example, Oliver Reid, who leads Orkney Council serving a population of approximately 22,000, will see his salary rise by about £32,000 by November 2026—from £133,530 to £165,755—even before any standard annual pay increases are considered. Meanwhile, the chief executive in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city with a population around 30 times larger, will receive a comparatively modest increase of £4,000. In the Western Isles, the outgoing chief executive Malcolm Burr will be replaced by a successor whose starting salary is initially £136,389 but is expected to climb to £165,755 next year under the new framework, an increase of £29,366.
The pay adjustments are not limited to the smallest councils. For instance, Karen Greaves, the chief executive at Moray Council, which serves a community of around 95,000 people, will see her pay jump from £140,136 to £173,217, reflecting a £33,000 rise. Similarly, Midlothian and Stirling chief executives will receive salary boosts of £30,000 and £24,000 respectively. Inverclyde Council, managing services for 79,000 residents, will also see its chief executive’s pay increase by more than £16,000, from £153,365 to £169,445. Conversely, the largest councils such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, and the Lanarkshire areas will experience the smallest pay rises.
The full salary increases are set to be implemented by 1 November 2026 and coincide with a nationally negotiated pay settlement for all local government staff effective from April. Cosla justified the pay review by highlighting that chief executive salaries had not been evaluated for 25 years despite the expanding complexity, scale, and risk associated with their roles. According to their statement, “Since then, the role and legal duties of councils, of which the chief executive is the lead officer, have changed significantly in terms of increased complexity, scale and level of risk.” They also emphasized that “Council population sizes—a key component of the pay framework—have changed and chief executive pay has not kept pace with internal or wider public sector levels, creating challenges in recruitment and retention.” These senior officials hold responsibility over a broad range of public services, from education and childcare to housing, social work, transportation, waste management, and cultural activities.
The pay rise announcements, however, have drawn criticism from labor representatives. Roz Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), voiced strong disapproval: “Cosla’s decision to award top bosses above-inflation pay rises is deeply flawed and will quite rightly create a huge backlash from workers and the public they serve.” She highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by frontline staff and service users, noting that “Staff and service users across the country are facing cuts to services, continued low pay and an increasing cost of living. It is simply rubbing salt into the wounds of ordinary workers who, yet again, can see that when it comes to pay it’s one rule for the bosses and another rule for everyone else.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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