Banning pay-outs in public sector ‘would send a clear message’
Eben Wilson, director of the Taxpayers’ Alliance Scotland, said bonuses had become “an expected part of total pay – even following failure”, adding that bonus culture had “burgeoned” north of the Border.
The row came after The Scotsman previously revealed that almost £10 million in bonuses was paid by Scotland’s taxpayer-funded quangos during 2010-11.
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David Lonsdale, the assistant director of CBI Scotland, said: “Exceptional pay is only ever justified by outstanding performance, and bonuses for mediocre work or for poor performance are unacceptable.”
Mr Wilson added: “The bonus culture has clearly burgeoned recently out of financial services into senior management and the bureaucracy.
He said: “While there is nothing wrong with earning a good salary from good performance, the worry is always that the bonus becomes an expected part of total pay – even following failure. Banning bonuses across the public sector would send a clear message.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Our pay policy suspended access to bonuses in 2011-12.
“They have been suspended again for next year, on the back of many chief executives waiving them in 2009-10 and 2010-11.”