I CAN understand why Councillor Kevin Dawson of Blackwood (Argus, March 14) is acting as an apologist for Labour, trying to defend the salaries of 20 top highly paid officers of Caerphilly council.

It was the Labour Cabinet who first took the initiative to hike up the salaries of those at the top and even the discredited ‘compromise’ scheme they pushed through council will cost taxpayers’ around £1.5m up until 2017.

Plaid Cymru makes no apologies for calling for the few at the top to take a share of the pain suffered by the many. These officers are earning anything from £1,500 per WEEK to more than £2,000. Labour is looking after the highly paid while most council employees struggle to make ends meet.

I’ve personally offered to meet the council Labour leader, Councillor Harry Andrews, to discuss ways of working together through the difficult spending cuts. It is something the AM for Caerphilly has called for.

Sadly, it seems Councillor Andrews and his Labour colleagues are not interested in constructive dialogue with opposition groups.

Councillor Colin Mann Caerphilly