Council happy with job gender split

Oct 3 2008 by Mark Smith, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

NO plans are in place to change the council’s recruitment policy, despite calls for more action to help women into top local government posts.

The country’s largest public sector union, Unison, says that men still take up the bulk of top jobs at council level in the UK.

And of Halton Council’s 19 operational directors, 15 are men, along with all four of its strategic directors and its chief executive.

However, the authority says no plans are currently in the pipeline to change the way senior posts are filled.

A report commissioned by the union said the lack of senior female council staff creates an “imbalance” in policy making.

A Halton Borough Council spokesman, said: “We endeavour to employ the best quality of staff at all levels, whatever their gender.”