THE NUMBER of State employees, including those working in the health service, rose by nearly 3,000, but cuts have been made in the first three months of the year, official statistics reveal.
However, gross pay rates for State-employed workers rose above €50,000-a-year for the first time, up by 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to March.
Each State employee, on average, now earns €12,000 more than the average industrial worker, who takes home €38,000 gross, and €10,000 more than the average private sector worker, who earns €40,500.
Average weekly earnings rose from €941.01 to €973.0. Although Defence Forces’ pay rates were up 5.2 per cent – from €788.18 to €828.79 – average pay for gardaí fell by 4 per cent from €1,226.16 to €1,177.54.
The figures measure gross pay and do not take any accounts of real reductions in pay suffered by public sector workers from the imposition of the pension levy.
The drop in average Garda pay is partly explained by curbs in overtime, but, more importantly, by the recruitment of younger, less well-paid officers. Excluding overtime, average Garda pay rose by 1.9 per cent.
Over the last three years average weekly earnings for State workers have risen by 12.2 per cent, excluding those working in the health service, from €867.62 to €973.04, but again there are significant differences amongst groups.
Soldiers’ average pay jumped by 17.5 per cent during the three years; that for gardaí by just 5.9 per cent once overtime was included. Primary and secondary teachers were 10 per cent better-off, but those working in third-level did better, earning 17.9 per cent more.
Secondary school teachers, however, earn significantly more than their colleagues in VEC schools and at primary level, receiving on average €1,103 per week compared with €882 and €907 respectively.
Significantly, given the current economic climate, the Central Statistic Office information shows that the average public worker’s salary has broken through the €50,000 barrier for the first time.
However, the numbers employed in State organisations, bar those in schools and hospitals, dropped by nearly 3,000 in the first three months of the year, illustrating that employment curb orders are beginning to hit home.
More than 371,000 people were employed by the State in all of its operations in March 2009, up from 368,300 the year before, but 2,900 people have been let go or have not had their contracts renewed since December.
Nearly 3,000 more people are working in education in the year to March and 1,500 in hospitals. Yet 500 fewer are working for semi-State companies and 1,200 fewer in local authorities and other local bodies.
However, nearly 20,000 more have been employed by the State in the last three years – even though 3,600 fewer people work for semi-State companies due to privatisations than did in March 2006.
More than 8,000 more work in hospitals; though this figure includes some workers who would not have been previously included in earlier statistics, while Garda Síochána numbers rose by 2,000 during the three years.
Some 30 per cent of all State workers are employed in health, as they were in 2006, while the shares held by other categories have changed little during that period, indicating that no major reorganisations have taken place.
The CSO pay figures prompted small and medium employers’ organisation ISME to demand major reforms and “individual audits” to be done in each State body to see where job numbers could be cut.
Nearly 115,000 people have lost their jobs in the private sector. While average pay levels have been cut by 13 per cent, State pay levels continued to rise, said ISME.
Impact official Niall Shanahan claimed that the statistics would be exploited “by a lot of people to argue in favour of pay cuts”.
“Our detractors have been singing from the same hymn sheet now for a number of years, so this will be used as further ammunition.”
