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Water chief grilled by MSPs over 'film star' salary

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Published Date: 25 March 2009
By David Maddox
THE chief executive of Scottish Water was forced to defend his salary yesterday when he appeared before Holyrood's finance committee.
Water authority managers answered questions on why they offered a large bonus for the chief executive, but only modest ones for junior employers.

It came as the committee was told by representatives of the Pay Policy Unit that there were no plans to downgrade top public salaries to tackle the recession.

Scottish Water's chief executive, Richard Ackroyd, who appeared before the MSPs, earns a basic salary of £263,000 plus a 40 per cent bonus. Junior employees at Scottish Water are limited to a £900 bonus, worth around 5 per cent of their salary.

Mr Ackroyd's high salary had been singled out by former SNP committee member Alex Neil, now a minister, as "a film star salary."

But Mr Ackroyd claimed he was "comfortable" with his salary being largely performance-related.

Scottish Water's chairman, Ronnie Mercer, insisted that the salary was worked out before Mr Ackroyd was approached as 95 per cent of the going rate for chief executives in the water industry.

He added that, in reality, it was nearer to 85 per cent.





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  • Last Updated: 24 March 2009 9:32 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Scottish Water
 
1

Billiam Wallace,

25/03/2009 03:18:07
"But Mr Ackroyd claimed he was "comfortable" with his salary being largely performance-related."

I bet he is! I'd be bloody comfortable with half that salary. How did we get into this cloud-cukoo land where money is just meaningless numbers to some folk and hand-to-mouth subsistance to others?

Time for a reckoning I reckon!

Saor Alba
2

For Scotlands Future,

Vote for the SNP 25/03/2009 06:01:02
Do you think there is a Studio Director somewhere in Hollywood who is berating some second rate actor about their earnings, asking them if they think they are some Scottish Water Chief??
3

,

25/03/2009 08:48:11
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
4

Andy Ritchie's left boot,

25/03/2009 08:55:12
Is this the man who is allowing Scottish Water to get rid of well qualified and experienced Engineers in the development sections and replace them with a call centre manned by people who have no engineering knowledge whatsoever? Yes, clearly a dynamic and wise man. I'd almost be willing to bet that his qualifications are in accountancy or some similar parasitical field rather than in civil or even mechanical engineering.
5

Doh,

25/03/2009 09:12:32


I thought fatcats didnt like water.
6

Los Angeles,

25/03/2009 09:32:27

Give him the water torture!

7

Steven P,

edinburgh 25/03/2009 10:22:38
Time to send in the Goodwin vigilantes.
8

Rob,

25/03/2009 10:46:45
He should move south - he can double his salary there and not put up with this petty BS.
9

Goggsie #,

Fife 25/03/2009 11:51:17
Time for a reality check, we do after all live in a free market economy!

Why don't they "grill" the directors of the many Scottish football clubs who pay ridiculously large salaries and bonuses to their players - answer- because it's not politically popular!

10

Luigiana,

Aberdeen 25/03/2009 12:01:42
"Water chief grilled by MSPs....."

A fat cat grilled by a bunch of pigs. What a laugh.

There are different ways to make lots of money - ask any politician.
11

Alec M,

Falkirk 25/03/2009 12:01:55
#5 Andy Ritchie "I'd almost be willing to bet that his qualifications are in accountancy or some similar parasitical field rather than in civil or even mechanical engineering."

From the Scottish Water website (and make of it what you will) "Richard Ackroyd was appointed as Chief Executive on 25 March 2008 and has twenty years experience in the water industry. Prior to joining Scottish Water Richard had been Director of Regulation and Investment at Yorkshire Water since 1996 with, amongst other issues, responsibility for regulatory matters and investment programmes. Richard was also Chairman of Water UK from 2006 to 2008.

"He is a solicitor by profession and has previously been Head of Legal Services for Yorkshire Water following a period in private practice."
12

Steven P,

edinburgh 25/03/2009 12:50:46
#10 Goggsie. We do not live in a free market economy. If we did, RBS would be bust (no state-funded handouts or pensions), and Scottish Water would be managed from some low-cost base in the Far East.
13

Alasdair mac Alasdair Mór Mac an Righ,,

25/03/2009 13:41:20
~The question for me is this.

Could we replace this guy for half the money with someone who could do a better or equal job.

We paid big money to the city investment spivs, the banking chiefs, the fsa chiefs, etc, etc.

We got lord Dud, Sir Phudd and many Atristocritic phuckwitts OBE.

But yet things still went horribly wrong.

The head of the Water Company should know about Water Engineering, The head of the Bank should be a banker and head of the Regulator of financial services should have experience.

Its like asking a Football referee to judge the Ice skating.

Old boy network, nepotism and blatant corruption.
14

Moonraker007,

25/03/2009 13:59:04
Remember Mp's , MSP's, Heads of Quango's and company directors all used bankers pay since 1990's to justify rewards and bonuses. Now we know the bankers are loosing theirs as they are not worthy of the bonuses and over inflated salaries. When are the politicos, news paper bosses and quango heads going too loose or give up theirs?

It's olny fair , it was only a benchmark and hey! They've had years of benififtting from salaries above there station for years.
15

Goggsie #,

Fife 25/03/2009 15:16:32
#13. Yes, you are quite right. I ought to have inserted "managed" before "free market...". Although some would rather "mis-managed" was inserted.
16

Eve,

Scotland 25/03/2009 16:05:55
Surely if you eran £263,000 you wouldn't need a bonus!!

Well a money bonus!!

There are people who work for min wage or just a wee bit more and get no bonuses what so ever.

Whats with these Fat Cats, can't they see that the amount they give them selfs in bonuses could create serveral decent paid jobs. Don't they care about the people and during a ression to surely keeping people in employment is more important than cash bonuses.

Really what on earth do they do with such amounts.
17

Beachcomber,

Edinburgh 25/03/2009 20:54:54
An interesting article in counterpunch regarding AIG & Bankers in General..
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts03192009.html

 

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