PUBLIC workers' union Unison has accused a council of "pay hypocrisy" after bosses were awarded big rises.

Unison is angry at the creation of new top management posts and large pay hikes for Greenwich Council's most senior bosses.

It will see the annual pay of chief executive Mary Ney go from £160,000 to £178,000 - an £18,000 rise equating to an 11 per cent pay rise.

The council plans to create a new £156,000 post for a deputy to the chief executive to assist with the council's £750m modernisation agenda.

It will also see the director of children's services and the director of finance getting rises of nearly £20,000, giving them salaries of £135,000.

Unison's Greenwich branch secretary Onay Kasab has branded the rises hypocritical.

He said: "Nursery nurses receive a maximum salary of £16,746.

"The council agreed they should be upgraded to a new scale which would raise pay to a maximum of £21,885.

"But the council is refusing to honour this and insists it can only offer to pay £18,927."

Mr Kasab also says the council has failed to pay certain workers in ground maintenance the correct wage.

He says workers have been carrying out duties of a higher graded worker but been paid at a lower rung in the pay scale.

New pay deals for top bosses were agreed at a cabinet committee meeting on October 10.

A report outlining approval for the increases was treated as "urgent business" as recruitment for senior posts in children's services has already started.

Mr Kasab added: "Council staff will quite rightly see this as pay hypocrisy."

A council spokesman said: "The salaries of chief officers had not been reviewed since 2001 and as a consequence the council has brought them up to date.

"This will ensure salaries remain competitive and we are able to attract staff of the highest calibre."

He added: "The other issues raised by the union are being negotiated and will be resolved through normal industrial relations mechanisms."