AFTER revelations that the boss of the SSPCA has enjoyed a five-figure pay rise while rescue centres were closed it has now emerged that one of his assistants has enjoyed a similarly huge raise.
The SSPCA was slated last week after revelations that chief executive Stuart Earley was paid £216,000 in 2014 – up a third in just three years.
But it has now emerged that one of his assistants was also given a five-figure raise.
In 2013 the unnamed employee was paid between £60,000 and £69,999 – but last year it jumped into the bracket of £90,000 to £99,999.
His raise – by as much as 67% – has come as the charity shut down its only rescue centre in Shetland in order to cut down on costs.
And two other employees of the charity also received pay increases which took them into the £80,000 to £89,999 pay bracket over the same period.
The revelations have prompted other animal welfare campaigners to express concern – and Scottish Labour will now lodge a motion in parliament expressing their concern.
Daniel Craig, author of The Great Charity Scandal, said: “It is incredible that, at a time when we’re being told we have to cut spending to balance the budge and when so many ordinary people’s wages are hardly increasing, that some charity bosses feel it is acceptable to award themselves pay rises of 10% or more.”
The news comes in the wake of the revelation that the heads of ten of Scotland’s charities rake in £800,000 combined.
A spokesman for Scottish Labour said that charities should not pay “excessive” wages.
He said: “Donations are made for the purposes of the charity, not for the enrichment of those who work for them.”
The party motion – to be lodged at Holyrood today (MONDAY) says that it is “shocked by the excessive level of salary of the chief executive officers of some national charities such as the SSPCA.”
It also makes a point of noting that the SSPCA relies on donations from people with low incomes.
But SSPCA trustee Alistair Lawrie defended the charity – saying it was “well-run” and “efficient” with “low management costs.”
He said that 83p of every £1 donated is spent on helping animals.
He added: “The truest test of any charity is how much money is spent on the charitable activities and helping the animals, or people, that the charity is set up to support.”
