Bankrupt Thurrock council plans pay rise for staff

Thurrock Council staff are set for a pay rise despite the authority's deficit

Staff at a council that is effectively bankrupt are set to get a pay rise worth £1,925 that will cost the authority £2.7m.

It comes as Conservative-run Thurrock Council in Essex, which declared itself as being in financial distress in December, faces a deficit of £469m.

Councillors decided to recommend implementing the pay rise now rather than deferring or partially paying.

Council leader Mark Coxshall said staff should not be penalised.

"To defer is just not an option we should be looking into at this point. The staff here are not to blame for the issues we're in at the moment," he said.

Mark Coxshall, leader of Thurrock Council, said staff should not be blamed

The pay rise was agreed with the National Joint Council for Local Government Services for 2022-23. It will be backdated until last April but does not include senior managers.

Labour group leader John Kent said: "I think it's only right we recommend to council implementing the NJC award.

"I know that creates difficulties but when you are looking at a black hole of £450m, it's unfortunately adding another £3m to it to make sure our workforce don't get punished as a result of what's happened."

The recommendation will now go on to be discussed by the full council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.