A REQUEST for a pay rise from the CBH Group board of directors has been categorically denied and labelled "insulting" by some growers.
At the CBH annual general meeting last Thursday afternoon, a resolution proposed that the maximum remuneration of co-operative board directors be raised by $311,704 per annum, taking the total to $1,677,000 per annum.
The resolution was denied by the 400-odd growers present and those by proxy.
Bolgart farmer Julian McGill attended the meeting and said to ask for a pay rise when the board was coming off a record loss was an insult to growers.
"If the chairman and the directors of our board were in touch and knew how the growers were feeling, this would never have come up at the AGM," Mr McGill said.
"They should have known there was no way in high hell they would get a majority of growers to vote yes for a pay rise."
The Notice of Annual General Meeting, sent to growers in January by CBH, stated an increase in the aggregate directors' fee cap would facilitate the remuneration of directors at levels commensurate with market rates.
"It will improve the prospects of increasing the number of quality candidates seeking election in the annual Member Director Elections," the notice said.
"It will assist to attract and retain directors of the highest calibre.
"And it will allow for the payment of appropriate fees, taking into account the increasing time and responsibilities required of directors generally and in particular with regard to the significant workload of the co-operative's directors."
Pingelly farmer and former board director John Hassell said as an ex-director, he thought the payments they were given were pretty generous.
"I don't believe they need to be paid anymore, especially after a year of poor performance," Mr Hassell said.
"The grower directors, or in fact the directors as a whole, are out of touch and there is a certain amount of arrogance built into them thinking they can keep asking for extra money even though a big chunk of the State is feeling a lot of pain."
Tammin farmer Brad Jones said the resolution being voted down showed growers had absolutely no confidence in the board.
"Clearly growers have a lack of respect for the board and for the chairman," Mr Jones said.
"It shouldn't have ever got to the AGM in the first place, the board should have been smart enough to see that they'd just had a loss, there's been a lot of upheaval and maybe they should just park the increase for a year."