Councillor calls for pay restraint

Andrew Mathieson
A Geelong councillor has called for “wage restraint” among City Hall staff after councillors approved 30 per cent pay rises for themselves late last year.
Councillor Stretch Kontelj warned unions to shelve any plans to push for pay hikes amid the global financial crisis.
He believed a tight lid on City Hall’s wages bill would help councillors avoid having to increase rates.
“Wage restraint is vital,” he said.
“Any upward pressure on wage growth during the next couple of years would have the potential to jeopardise jobs.
“The City must do its best to protect jobs.
“The unions would be well-advised not to agitate for wage increases.”
Councillor “allowances” are set to jump from $18,000 to $24,200, while the mayor’s pay will rise a further $26,575 to $77,300 after councillors approved their new allowance rates.
Surf Coast councillors are also set to enjoy a similar size increase in their allowances and the mayor’s pay packet after approving their own pay rises last month.
Cr Kontelj said Geelong councillors had been discussing ways to trim fat after falls in revenue.
But he wanted a freeze on rates after they had increased faster than the national inflation index every year for the past decade.
Cr Kontelj believed this year would be the “most difficult budget” in his 11 years on council.