Wolverhampton City Council creates another 10 jobs

Another 10 jobs are being created at Wolverhampton City Council despite the threat of redundancy looming for 150 staff.

The new posts, which include two trainee solicitors and two fixed-term £44,000-a-year "project managers", were criticised by opposition Conservatives today.

It comes a month after 18 new jobs were created. Bosses also revealed a £708-a-day director will cost £148,680 for his nine-month role. The news comes amid plans to dismiss and re-employ 9,000 workers.

Tory councillor Jonathan Yardley said: "I find it unbelievable that new jobs are being created at a time when the local authority needs to cut back. We're paying money to make people redundant. Why can they not be retrained?"

On the matter of the project manager, head of employee relations Sue Davies said: "The post is being sought from outside the organisation as there is not adequate resource internally to fill this post."

On the trainee solicitors she added: "The council is showing a commitment to help young people complete legal professional training."

Keith Ireland has been appointed as the £708-a-day director in place of £785-a-day interim boss Tom Rennie, who left in April.