It’s been a good year for one Bridgwater worker with two salaries from two jobs and a hefty 20 percent increase in wages.

The Chief Executive of Sedgemoor District Kerry Rickards has a salary of around £115,000 a year while his extra role as Chief Executive of Homes in Sedgemoor bumps his earnings up towards the £139,000 mark. Mr Rickards is in charge of the staff at the council some of whom are in Unison, who have been offered somewhat less than that.

Unison said: “Local government members will be consulted in the new year on the employers’ pay offer for 2016 and 2017, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Following negotiations with the unions on December 9, the Local Government Employers made their final offer concerning a pay deal that would cover the two years from April 2016.

“For the lowest paid (those on spinal points 6-17) this would mean a pay rise of between 6.6% and 1.01% the first year, and between 3.4% and 1.3%the second. Those on spinal points 18-49 would receive 1% in year one and the same again the following year.

“The increases at the bottom end of the pay scale are designed to meet the employers’ legal obligations to comply with the Chancellor’s ‘national living wage’ (that will be £7.20 an hour next April and £9 an hour by the end of the Parliament).”

Sedgemoor have defended Mr Rickards package saying they are making a saving by employing one man to do two jobs along with his work as an electoral officer.

They said: “As a result of the Chief Executive of Homes in Sedgemoor taking up another position, the council considered whether in this age of austerity its residents and tenants would be best served by two Chief Executives and six directors. As a result, there has been a re-structuring of both Homes in Sedgemoor and Sedgemoor District council which has resulted in senior management salary savings of in excess of £235,000 per annum by the deletion of two director posts and one Chief Executive Post. The Chief Executive of Sedgemoor District Council, Kerry Rickards, now becomes the joint Chief Executive of both Sedgemoor District Council and Homes in Sedgemoor.”

“As is usual in the public sector, salaries of all posts above the range £50,000 are published annually in the statement of accounts, which is a public set of accounts. All senior management posts are remunerated in accordance with the Joint Nationally negotiated regulations. Sedgemoor does not have any bonus schemes or company or lease cars. There is a contributory pension scheme which employees can choose whether to join.

“As is usual nationally, the Chief Executive for a district area also serves as Returning Officer and/or Acting Returning Officer, dependent on the type of election. These rates are set nationally by the Electoral Commission and are published.”

On a salary of around £139,000 Mr Rickards is paid more than Cabinet Ministers who get £134,565 per year for their services, while the Prime Minister earns slightly more at £142,500.

Your views on such matters to harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk