Plaid Cymru has confirmed that the Labour leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council Russell Roberts has a FIFTH job on the public purse, taking his salary past six figures.
Russell Roberts is paid £2,593 a year as a member of the English-based Local Government Improvement and Development Board. That takes his annual earnings to a staggering £102,443 A YEAR.
In 2010-11 Russell Roberts picked up £58,962, including £1,177 in travel and subsistence, from his work as leader of the council. He also received £23,544 as chairman of South Wales Police Authority and £13,344 from Cwm Taf Health Board.
Earlier this month Plaid Cymru revealed that Russell Roberts as deputy leader of the Welsh Local Government Association received £4,000 a year.
Greg Powell, who is standing against Russell Roberts in Tonyrefail East ward in next month’s elections, said: “This six-figure councillor is laughing all the way to the bank. He is totally out of touch with voters in RCT and Tonyrefail. How can he justify having five paid roles from public sector?
“It is important electors in Tonyrefail, many of whom are struggling to keep a roof over their heads send a clear message that they’ve had enough of this fat cat councillor who must surely be the highest paid member of a local authority in Wales.”
Pauline Jarman, Plaid Cymru leader on RCT council, said: “People in RCT are entitled to ask Councillor Roberts how he can justify having five jobs funded through the public sector. How on earth can he be spending the necessary time as council leader which the Independent Remuneration Board for Wales has made it clear that should be a full time role?
“The Welsh Local Government Minister should tell Councillor Roberts that these sorts of practices are unacceptable but because he is a Labour councillor he will probably sit on his hands and turn a blind eye. If anyone knows if Councillor Roberts has further public sector jobs I’d be pleased to hear from them.
“I challenge Councillor Roberts to justify his five paid jobs but I’m not holding my breath. He is clearly not able to defend the indefensible. He’s the head of a tired Labour Party in RCT that has ditched its principles and lost touch with reality.
“He recently put his hand up against giving staff a one off £200 ex-gratia payment which we proposed at the recently budget meeting following the national employers announcing a third year of pay freezes. At the same time he was coining it in from five places.”
