“Thats the point their is a union convenor suggesting that someone who's basic is £11640 should take a 5% cut when he gets a car and £30,000 a year its unbelieveable its a huge amount for what he does and the sooner he and his mates get what they are worth the better and the reason is 5% of £11,640 is £580 so altogether it is only as much as one convenor get rid of all 6 and its a huge amount around a quarter of a million.”

“Just thought I'd add a footnote although it is at the top. Got my Hull in Print yesterday Allowances and Expenses for HCC published before income tax deductions! Total Expenses for all 59 councillors £5595.35. That's an average of £94.84 each not a lot and if you remove the top 3 claimants it equals £43.27 a real massive amount for a year. Now the allowances haven't gone up this is the fifth without a rise and I would have trouble getting out of bed for the amount they recieve in allowances and in expenses. It's paltry for what they do.”

“Ah! Colin Davros Inglis I have seen people shake with fear when you have walked past. As to replacing the police maybe a bogeyman is what we need to keep crime down yet you are the first person I've ever known volunteer for the job.

As to convenors I've never known them to be paid by the company that the workforce they represent by anymore than they were recieving in the job they worked in in the company. So perhaps people of Mr Mathiesons wages in the parks department was as high in which case he must be truly best paid grass cutters there has ever been.”

“So "Sean", the last Panel resigned because I wanted to observe their meetings and I'm really so scarey and "bullying" that they just couldn't cope with the thought, lol.

Maybe I can single-handedly replace the entire Police force when its decimated, because I'm so scarey.

They wouldn't allow the press in on their deliberations either (not all of them agreed, I should add) which I think tells you all you need to know.

As to Convenors, its long been in the Council's interests to have them, it speeds up grievance and appeals procedures allows easier more speedy and efficient negotiations and is just good practice. We do have a quite large workforce to manage!

Having said that Mr. Matheison has done himself and his Members no favours arguing for anyone's "pay" to be cut, is that really the job of a TU official. Glad I'm in Unison not the "T&G"!!

The original system we devised for setting Members' remuneration, linking it directly to the LOWEST Council employee pay grade served us very well. It was nonsensical of the last Government to force us to change the arrangements and as January48 points out, who would want to do it, ie sit on such a Panel?

Answer, so far, virtually nobody, in fact we've now had to agree, at my suggestion, to pay them to get enough people to apply....the irony! Even that hasn't worked very well.”

“Two things I have just spoken on the phone with my councillor and the story goes that councillor Inglis wanted to have open meetings so he could attend. Of course I can guess why as he was in charge of the worst council in England plagued with a culture of bullying. So they left and provided they could have written a report on how they came to their conclusions I would have thought that would be acceptable and they should be able to make recommendations without fear after all. So in all probability no one will take the job.

2. The council has been in need of an overall for around 30 years as regard to jobs, terms and conditions and pensions. perhaps this crisis will cause that to happen but people like these convenors need finding and putting on a sensible footing.”

“Perhaps HDM will publish the names of the new independent remuneration panel - that is, if anyone can be found to sit on it.”

“Perhaps HDM will publish the names of the new independent remuneration panel - that is, if anyone can be found to sit on it.”

“Chris, its not just that, it needs too be noted that the council gives various unions free accommodation to go about their business, like that buiding on Quay Street at the end of the Guildhall. They should pay a proper rent or move out as well as paying for the convenors extras.”

“There are two things to notice here

1. Over 20% of the City Council not having had a pay rise for 5 years are to take a 5% pay cut. Good on them.

2. Union Officials too many of them and they are paid far too much. Even Cllr Inglis doesn't argue to save their jobs or their pay levels, shame he didn't do something about it when he was in charge”

“These stories are just populist nonsense cooked up by Cllr. Minns to try and make his Party look better before they announce the loss of a rumoured 1600 Council jobs. Dave Matheison should be concentrating his energies on that problem, or maybe the fact that we won't be able to subsidise full-time TU Convenors any more.

The full council, determines the Members Allowance scheme, not just the Cabinet, so whilst they might have agreed to voluntarily hand back part of their Special Responsibility Allowances, they haven't been cut at all since the issue hasn't been anywhere near a full Council meeting.

A bit of very elementary research on the part of the HDM would establish that and at least give a more accurate story. In fact we don't even have an Independent Members' Remuneration Panel to make recommendations at the moment, we are in the process of appointing one after the last Panel resigned, the majority of them having refused to conduct their deliberations in public, despite Councillors requiring that.”