LAST month Gedling Borough Council revealed it was spending £80,000 of taxpayers' money on a £250 cash reward for workers earning £21,500 or less.
Now, Ashfield District Council has backed a similar idea.
An emergency motion to pay a £250 bonus to staff on less than £21,000, was passed at a council meeting last week.
The move will cost the authority about £73,000.
A total of 313 council workers will get a payment – 212 will get the full amount and 101 part-time workers will receive a pro-rata payment. The decision follows an announcement by Chancellor George Osborne that council workers on low wages could get an extra £250 a year in the face of the public sector pay freeze.
The motion was put forward by Labour councillor Mick Coppin and backed by colleagues on the council's majority party.
Mr Coppin said the payment would reward workers who had "endured a three-year pay freeze" and "worked tirelessly in partnership with this authority to protect services, improve quality and bring forward financial savings".
However, Councillor Jason Zadrozny, Liberal Democrat group leader, said the money should have been spent on other projects.
"This council has cut its front-line services as part of this year's budget," he said.
"Services are still there, but they are slower and less efficient.
"In Selston, the community has asked for CCTV for a street where there are problems with anti-social behaviour and they are told the council can't afford the £8,000 this would cost.
"Paying out this bonus is absolutely ludicrous.
"People are really upset, that, during hard times like these, such a payment is made to such a small number of people, effectively paid out of the taxpayer's pocket."
David Marsden, 36, of Hucknall, said: "I think this money could be better spent for the rest of the community.
"Everybody is struggling, so why is the council only helping such a small number of people?"
Mr Marsden, who works for West Bridgford-based Page One Photography, said he hadn't received a Christmas bonus for at least five years.
"I also think £21,000 is actually quite a good wage. A lot of people are on a lot less than that."
Independent councillor Gail Turner added: "It's wrong, Ashfield District Council can't afford this. They should be giving something back to the people of Ashfield.
"It's a union-led thing, it's like being thrown back to 1979 when the unions ruled the roost.
"It doesn't take into account people's performance or if they have been off sick, it's just right across the board."
But Josh Dutton, 21, a fairground worker from Hucknall, said: "I think everybody should have a bonus at Christmas, especially when you have been working hard all year.
"I get a Christmas bonus, I think it's fair. It just shows that your boss appreciates you."
A council spokeswoman said: "
"The cost of the payment will be met from existing budgetary provision."
Ashfield and Gedling are believed to be the only ones in Notts to give a bonus.
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