COUNCILLORS traded verbal blows over workers' income last week (Tuesday) with Dave Clark proclaiming that "Scrooge lives in Alloa".

The Clacks North member put forward a motion during a full meeting of Clackmannanshire Council which sought the reversal of a decision to remove the anti-social hours allowance.

He asked that the council "celebrates its staff and applauds their commitment to delivering services to the people of Clackmannanshire.

"It recognises, in humility, that they contribute three per cent of their income voluntarily towards addressing the council's financial difficulties.

"This council, therefore, considers it abhorrent that their income is further attacked in the form of the withdrawal of the unsocial hours allowance paid to staff working anti-social hours and desists from implementing such a policy."

He told the chamber that this was "immoral" and that he had been impressed by the staff since joining the local authority.

He said: "Here we have a staff group that wasn't the problem and did what they could to solve the problem.

"They offered up their own income and I thought, wow, that's to be admired."

Councillor Archie Drummond spoke out against the motion, saying it was not in line with standing orders.

He also called it impotent, as it referenced a decision on March 27 and not a meeting on November 16, in which he said it was found the proposed savings were "unachievable".

Cllr Drummond added: "He has missed the fact that he is effectively asking us to do something that we have already done."

Cllr George Matchett came to the aid of Cllr Clark and said the staff were holding services together.

Meanwhile, Cllr Les Sharp said the change was not about depriving people of income but looking at how money was spent.

He added: "We will continue to negotiate and discuss with our union colleagues".

And Cllr Craig Holden took issue with the motion and said it wasn't designed to achieve any particular outcome for staff.

He said Cllr Clark was simply trying to portray himself and his party as "friends of the worker".

He added that he was "indulging in an act of shameless self-promotion and I suspect it won't be the last".

The motion was defeated following a roll call vote.