Latest news with #payincrease
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Housing Agency raised salary for incoming CEO by over €23,000
A pay increase of more than €23,000 was approved for the new chief executive of the Housing Agency after negotiations between two government departments. The post was meant to be filled with a starting package of €161,593 a year, the first point on the Assistant Secretary salary scale of the Civil Service. However, the Housing Agency said their preferred candidate had been paid a higher salary than that in his previous role in the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA). They argued that their new CEO, Martin Whelan, should start at €184,852 a year, the fourth and final point on the agreed salary scale. The Department of Public Expenditure said that, based on his 'substantial knowledge and experience' and his previous salary, they would have 'no objection' to the higher package. Internal records detail how the Housing Agency was left without a CEO when their previous boss, Bob Jordan, resigned in September last year after a three month notice period. An email from the Department of Housing said: 'Given the short lead in time to Mr Jordan's resignation, there is an urgency in commencing the recruitment process. 'It may be a case that an interim CEO will be required for a number of months as it is imperative that the work and consequential outputs of the Housing Agency is uninterrupted while the substantive CEO process is ongoing.' The Department of Public Expenditure said in response that it had no objection to a person being appointed on an acting basis if the need arose. Department officials said at the time that the full-time appointment should be made on the Assistant Secretary level which begins at €161,593 per year and with no perks permitted under Government policy. In November, the Housing Agency said they had found a candidate for the role but submitted a business case to seek a higher starting pay rate. It said that while Mr Whelan was 'enthusiastic about the role', he had 'requested a review of the remuneration package'. 'To address this and to reflect the level of experience and expertise Mr Whelan will bring, the agency proposes appointing him at the top of the Assistant Secretary scale, €186,701.' It said a committee led by the chairperson of the Housing Agency fully supported it and believed it was a 'prudent and necessary investment'. As part of the business case, the Department of Housing said they agreed that Mr Whelan should start on the higher rate of pay. There were further discussions with details sought on how many people had applied and how many were considered suitable for the role. In mid-November, the Department of Housing said it was hoping for a final decision as the matter was now 'very urgent and impacting the business of the agency'. On November 29, an email from the Department of Public Expenditure said they had closely considered the case and the candidate's previous experience. 'Taking into account his current salary in the NTMA, [we] would have no objection to the Housing Agency negotiating a salary up to the fourth point of the Assistant Secretary scale,' said the message.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Professional firefighters' union members reject pay offer of 5.1% over three years
The union says 99 percent of members who attended meetings rejected the offer and voted for strike action. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal The union for career firefighters has rejected Fire and Emergency New Zealand's latest pay offer of a 5.1 percent pay increase over the next three years. FENZ deputy national commander Megan Stiffler said they felt the offer, along with some increases to some allowances, was "fair" and balanced the cost of living pressures of staff alongside fiscal pressures faced by the agency. New Zealand Professional Firefighters' Union (NZPFU) national secretary Wattie Watson said 99 percent of members who attended meetings had voted to reject the offer, and voted for industrial action. Watson said it was an "appalling offer" that failed to address any of their concerns about the health and safety and the state of fire appliances. They had been bargaining since the middle of last year, and firefighters had not had a pay increase since July 2023, she said. Due to the delays, the 5.1 percent would not cover the lack of any pay increases for the past two years, Watson said. FENZ said collective agreement settlement in 2022 had provided a wage increase of up to 24 percent over a three-year period for career firefighters. However Watson said that settlement covered some of the years leading up to the settlement, and only covered wage increases until 2023. She added that that increase was for correcting decades of firefighters being underpaid. "That pay increase was a result of a process including government involvement, where it was proven that our members were so significantly underpaid when compared to other external workforces, and internally in FENZ - with corporate staff and HR staff - that there needed to be a significant uplift," she said. Meanwhile, FENZ maintained that it had invested significantly in its people and resources. "Fire and Emergency has also been investing in replacing our fleet, with 317 trucks replaced since 2017 and another 70 on order. We are currently spending over $20 million per year on replacement trucks. There is also a significant programme of station upgrades underway, as well as investment in training," Stiffler said. Watson however said that the 317 trucks mostly went to rural fire stations, and that currently the appliances at career fire stations in the urban areas were in a "dismal" state. Watson said career fire stations were expecting to get 40 trucks in the next few months, however testing had discovered that many had problems and none were ready for commissioning, Watson said. Trucks had been breaking down on their way to jobs, and pumps had also been breaking down - putting firefighters and the public at risk, she said. Members deserved a reasonable pay increase that recognised the cost of living pressures, and a package that also addressed the safety concerns, Watson said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Record labels sign deal to boost musicians' pay
Songwriters and session musicians will receive better rates of pay, under a landmark deal agreed by the music industry and the the first time, songwriters will get daily payments of £75, plus travel and food expenses, any time they attend a session or songwriting camp. Previously, they were expected to cover their own fees, and might only get paid when a song was situation was highlighted by Raye at the 2023 Ivor Novello Awards, where she told record label bosses it was "an insult" that songwriters were expected to "work for free". The new deal also gives session musicians a pay increase of up to 40% when they attend recording sessions. Pop musicians will see their standard fee rise from £130 to £182. Orchestral musicians will receive a smaller 15% increase - rising from £92.96 to £106.90 for a principal violinist, for changes were announced by the government's Creator Remuneration Working Group (CRWG), which was established in 2024 to help address the shortfall in musicians' income in the streaming group is led by creative industries minister Sir Chris Bryant, who said he was "sick and tired of musicians having to live with paltry amounts of money" for producing songs that "everybody loves dancing to around their kitchen".Addressing the paltry royalties that many artists receive from streaming services, Sir Chris added: "I can't transform the worldwide streaming situation, but what I can do is make sure that we in the UK have the best deal for artists possible." The new framework has been agreed by all three major record labels, with support from the Musicians Union, the Ivors Academy for songwriters, the Association of Independent Music and the Council of Music also allows musicians who signed a recording contract before the year 2000, before the advent of streaming, to renegotiate their contract and receive higher rates of will also have any debts to their record label cancelled, with additional support to get "missing" songs added to streaming platforms. Overall, the changes will deliver "tens of millions of pounds" to musicians by 2030, Sir Chris the Musicians Union and the Council of Music Makers said they were "disappointed" that the package did not do more to tackle "the fundamental problems with music streaming economics".They are seeking a minimum royalty rate for all artists, and a change to copyright law that would allow artists and songwriters to reclaim the rights to their songs after a set period of time. Of the new changes, the new pay deal for songwriters is possibly the most streaming, songwriters would get paid any time a CD or vinyl record was sold. Today, they get a fraction of the £0.003 royalty that's generated every time a song is played on streaming services.A 2024 report by consulting firm Midia Research suggested that only 10% of working songwriters earned more than $30,000 (£22,000) per year. More than half earned less than $1,000 (£741), with most citing the "lack of meaningful streaming income" as their primary cause was taken up by people like Abba's Björn Ulvaeus, who said the industry was "cheating songwriters" with a payment system that was "dysfunctional at best". 'Small step in a marathon' "It's been a pretty dire existence up to this point," says Ines Dunn, who has written for artists including Mimi Webb, Maisie Peters and Holly Humberstone."To even attend a session, you have to pay for your trains, you have to pay for your lunches. So everyone, before they even reach the studio, is already out of pocket."She describes the new payments as "a small step in a marathon" ."I think it's important to state this doesn't solve problems in the long term," she adds. "This isn't the extent of what songwriters deserve, but it is a really vital step in ensuring people can just show up and do their job."There's so many writers who are Uber drivers or have part-time jobs just to stay afloat. There are songwriters who can't afford childcare - and these [payments] can help with that, even if that's all they spend it on."I just want there to be a day where songwriters can be songwriters, and that's enough." The payments help to address a "huge power imbalance" in the music industry, adds Simon Barber, associate professor of songwriting at Birmingham City University and co-host of the Sodajerker On Songwriting podcast."If you think about the fact that songwriters are essentially the fount of new material for these massive corporations, to ask for expenses like travel and meals to be covered, is a very basic requirement that you would expect most industries to participate in. "So I think it's a really positive step forward. And I think it probably encourages songwriters from more diverse backgrounds, who don't necessarily have the means to work for free, to participate more."The BBC understands that two of the three major labels - Warner Music and Universal - have agreed to introduce the "per diem" payments for writers. Crucially, the money will not be paid by the artist hosting the session, but by the labels third major, Sony Music, has established a £100,000 fund, managed by The Ivors Academy, to cover per diems. The fund will also provide "broader support" to writers "to help increase access and opportunities across the music industry". More changes to come The changes come after MPs called for a "complete reset" of the streaming market to make sure artists got a "fair share" of the streaming market - which now generates more than £1 billion annually for the UK music Chris told the BBC that the new framework would be reviewed after 12 months. "If we find, in a year's time, that this hasn't really delivered an improvement to artists' and musicians' remuneration, then we always have the option of of going to legislate."The Creator Remuneration Working Group will continue to push for further changes - with a meeting in September to look at the issue of streaming pay for session musicians, who play on records by artists like Harry Styles, Adele and Lewis Capaldi, receive royalties when those songs are played on radio and TV. However, there are no equivalent royalties for digital streaming or on-demand radio services.
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Power Of Asking: Women In Sports Rewrite The Rules
Teresa Resch (President, Tempo Basketball), Jess Smith (President, Golden State Valkyries), Amber ... More Cox (COO & GM, Indiana Fever), Clare Hamill (Interim President, WNBA Portland), and Colie Edison (Chief Growth Officer, WNBA) joined the FQ Lounge during WNBA All-Star. Sometimes, the only thing standing between you and a breakthrough is a single, daring question: 'Can we talk about this?' The worst-case scenario? You hear 'no.' The best-case scenario? You change everything. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. After more than 60 years of being the heartbeat of game day, the cheerleaders finally had enough. In June 2025, shortly after Season 2 of the Netflix docuseries America's Sweethearts premiered, they secured a 400% pay increase. Not by chance, but by choice. Their signature 'Thunderstruck' routine had already become a cultural moment. This time, they sparked a movement. Change didn't happen by natural osmosis. It took intention. It took courage. It took a squad willing to speak up and stand together. Leaders like Jada Mott and Megan McElaney were among the first to say what many had been thinking. They asked for more, knowing the risks. And as Megan shared in the series: 'Our efforts were heard, and they wanted to give us a raise. And we ended up getting a 400% increase, which is, like, life-changing.' This wasn't just about money. It was about worth. About recognition. About respect. And this momentum isn't just on the sidelines. It's igniting across every arena, court, and field. In tennis, Billie Jean King was a courageous first. In 1973, she demanded equal prize money at the U.S. Open and made history. That was more than 50 years ago. While Grand Slams now offer equal pay, inequities still persist across the broader tour in media coverage, sponsorships, and week-to-week compensation. In the WNBA, the energy is electric. Athletes like Caitlin Clark, A'ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu are packing stadiums, trending online, and selling out merchandise. At the WNBA All-Star Game this weekend, the message couldn't have been clearer: the world isn't just watching. Women are leading. As the Togethxr campaign declared: Everyone Watches Women's Sports. What began as a rallying cry has become a movement. Women in sports are no longer waiting for a seat at the table. They're building a new one. They're not trying to meet outdated standards. They are setting the new standard. This is what modern progress looks like: Because the right time to raise your voice isn't when someone else gives you permission. The right time is when you decide it is. So what's the lesson? If you don't ask, you'll never know. If you do? You might just spark a thunderclap, serve an ace, or slam dunk a moment of change.
Daily Mail
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
AMANDA PLATELL: This is the real scandal at the heart of the BBC that we are all being manipulated into ignoring. John Torode's sacking is just a distraction
Was it coincidence that, just as the under-fire Director General of the BBC Tim Davie this week accepted a £20,000 pay increase, taking his salary to £547,000, he sacked MasterChef's John Torode for allegedly uttering a racist slur? Who knows. But as a newsman, Davie must have been aware the allegation against Torode, who has denied it and is said to be considering suing the Beeb, would get blanket press coverage.
