Local council prodigality. How is this sustainable?

I was chatting in the pub today with a chap who works nights for the local council on road maintenance.  He is on call for four shifts per week from 7:00pm to 7:00am and is paid £12.00 an hour as an unskilled worker plus £35.00 per shift because of the nighttime hours.  This means he is on £716.00 gross per week, plus a generous pension contribution, plus the use of a vehicle.

He is paid this every week whether or not he gets called in for work during his forty-eight allotted hours.  I asked him how many hours he worked last week and he answered "two, from 7:00pm until 9:00pm one evening holding a STOP and GO sign!"

I pay over £2,500 council tax every year so I found this revelation rather annoying.