STAFF at Worcestershire County Council have got a one per cent pay rise – but senior councillors and top staff will not get an extra penny.

The council needs to make £45 million savings over the next four years and and the 26 most senior staff, including chief executive Trish Haines – who earns about £170,000 a year – have gone along with national recommendations to not receive a cost of living increase this year.

But the council’s 7,000 employees, who do not work in schools, have finally got a one per cent increase in their pay packets which will be backdated from April. That will result in the cash-strapped county council’s general reserve being reduced by about £1.374 million but that is much less than was budgeted for about 12 months ago before the full impact of the recession had hit the country.

Adrian Gregson, Worces-tershire’s branch secretary for public sector union Unison, said while the one per cent pay increase was not as bad as the offer first put on the table – 0.5 per cent – he still had some reservations.

“It doesn’t deal with inequalities in pay and doesn’t address lower paid workers but it’s an improvement on what we started with,” he said. Mr Gregson said the next round of negotiations would be more challenging given the proposed cuts and savings that will need to be made on a local and national level.

“If people want professional and targeted public services then they are going to have to pay the appropriate rates,” he said. “Unless the council pays people fair and reasonable rates then good members of staff are going to stop delivering services and you will see people actually leave.”

At yesterday’s cabinet meeting council leader George Lord, who is paid more than £43,000 a year, said he thought it was important leading members did not take an increase in pay given the council’s current financial position. “We are sending out a clear message to staff and members of the community,” he said.