States Salaries

[Jason the Maverick]

More than 460 States workers earned more than £70,000 last year.

And 141 of them – nearly a third – were pushed over the £70,000 threshold for pay and contributions to pensions and social security during 2007.

The figures have come in a preview of the States accounts figures which will be made public a week today.

According to the brief report filed on www.gov.je, attached to the ministerial decision by Chief Minister Frank Walker to publish the figures, among the 464 earning more than £70,000 are 18 staff put over the threshold by overtime or standby pay.

I just wonder what the positions are?  What is standby pay?

[Jason the Maverick]

STAFF PAY

Five Police Constables and a paramedic were among the four hundred and sixty States workers who earned more than seventy thousand pounds last year.

This includes overtime, on-call and pension contributions - in addition to basic salary.

A Prison Officer, Manuel Worker Technician and eight civil servants working in the pathology lab also earned more than seventy thousand after overtime was added.

And eleven nurses were also in that pay bracket - because of back pay from the job families agreement.

It's also been revealed that almost a third of all States workers earning more than seventy thousand - were pushed over the threshold in 2007.

That's about one hundred and forty public sector staff.

The Chief Minister's putting the rise down to last years' inflation- linked pay increase.

These pension contributions are costing the tax payer a fortune.

[ageofaquarius]

I'm pleased to see nurses in that bracket, about time they were paid their worth, most of them are underpaid, overworked and disrespected, good to see a real worker in that bracket.

[boatyboy]

 
While working away today, I heard an item on the  BBC radio where Nick Corbel ? head of the union is balloting his union brothers regarding a wage increase. The demand is for 7% and if they don't get it there could be strikes.

So lets do some simple maths, we know the States wage bill costs £291 million each year. I am aware another sector has settled, sorry cannot remember which one. Just to help things along lets assume the amount still be settled is say £250 million X 7% which is going to add a figure of  £17.5 million to the cost of wages in the public sector. Not forgetting the cost of millions all ready increased at 3%

Guess who pays, we do, with more cuts to services, as they are starting now.

Off course we can all understand why all employees are feeling the pinch. When the STATES of JERSEY allow Jersey Telecomms to increase their land line Tariff by 50%,  when the same SoJ  allow the JEC to increase their tariff by 24% ( plus GST ) both companies having made fortunes on the previous years trading, then goodness we all need more money.

When so called trading departments, planning as an example, keep loyal to the user pays policy by stinging increases that are nothing to do with the cost of living index you can understand why, when the Jec and Telecomms are allowed to charge whatever they wish on basic utilities. Why should they be restrained, and as we have all witnessed, they are not.

Crazy completely inept, out of control financial management, at the heart of central Jersey Government.

So while I'm having a senior moment,  Mr Corbel union chief. I am sure you all desperately need your 7%. Somehow I think the Children's psychiatric service is cutting help to the needy because it's short of money. This is one sector we actually know of, which others are struggling ? .

You say your union Brothers need the extra money, but so do the less well off that don't work for the States, islanders who have or will loose their jobs, or many in the private sector, who simple can not afford to pay their staff more,  and several I know  didn't secure an increase last year.

If you do not wish to accept the 3% or is it 3.5% on the table, then that is the Unions position. Negotiate or bully your 7% increase, but I strongly suggest to the union that when CM Terry Le Suer and Treasury Minister Phillip Ozouf demand you loose a percentage of your workforce to cover this claim, in a time of recession and uncertainty, do not come to the rest of the islands population for support ?

Boatyboy.

[moot]

Well said BB

[ageofaquarius]

You are spot on BB..there just isn't the money in the pot, I work for the States so I'm used to poor pay rises! why change now.

[White Knight]

Why is it that private sector workers always jump on the States workers. If it was not for them your pay and conditions would be terrible!! The States workers with the unions fought for all there pay etc. including bank holidays, mayday, etc. etc. Look what the union did for Woolworth workers, would you not be thankful if you were made redundant and had a pay out to help you. No private sector workers let the States workers do their fighting for them and then jump on the bandwagon. Join a union and stand up for yourself!!!

[rogueelement]

If I knew anything about chess , I would suggest white knight is being an agent provocateur here, (either that or he really is a throwback to Scargill and all that ,,, er... hmmm. bovine manure)
get a life white knight , the unions are dead , apart from in Jersey, and the next move is, I believe, called "fools mate"

[danrok]

If I knew anything about chess , I would suggest white knight is being an agent provocateur here, (either that or he really is a throwback to Scargill and all that ,,, er... hmmm. bovine manure)
get a life white knight , the unions are dead , apart from in Jersey, and the next move is, I believe, called "fools mate"

If you have no need for a union then good for you.  Shame everyone can't say the same.

[Fritz]

Unions were a great idea until their leaders got the idea that they could use their power to run the country rather than stick to looking after the welfare of their members.

[Voltaire]

Why is it that private sector workers always jump on the States workers. If it was not for them your pay and conditions would be terrible!!

Last year as a "private sector" worker I got a wage increase of 2%. This year due to the current financial crisis we are not getting an increase. I am not bitter, because I still have a job to go to, but I am one of the ones that jumps on the States workers when they ask for 7% because that will be coming out of my earnings. They should be looking at the economy as a whole and be glad that during this recession they are keeping their jobs, not doing an Oliver Twist and asking for more.

[danrok]

Last year as a "private sector" worker I got a wage increase of 2%. This year due to the current financial crisis we are not getting an increase. I am not bitter, because I still have a job to go to, but I am one of the ones that jumps on the States workers when they ask for 7% because that will be coming out of my earnings. They should be looking at the economy as a whole and be glad that during this recession they are keeping their jobs, not doing an Oliver Twist and asking for more.

Some will not be keeping their jobs.

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/03/16/no-guarantee-on-states-jobs/

[White Knight]

I agree with Jason but only on the numbers of civil servants that should not be in the positions that they hold. I worked for the States for 37 years starting as an apprentice in engineering in a specialised area, i ended up being the manager of that department. All i round me and in other departments were middle managers who did not have a clue to what they were in charge of and the man on the shop floor had to tell these managers how to do the job in hand and they would not listen and make the men do it their way. It ended with stopping the job and starting over again with the way it should have been carried out. Any complaints from the shop floor these manager would gang together and work on the employee until he just shut up. Problem being the main manager would employ an unmanager making sure that they did not know more than them so they would not look silly. Of cause the manual worker never get the opportunity to bring these things to light and if they had the chance they would be overruled. Hundreds of thosands of pounds are paid out every year to these idiots. One thing i would not agree with you on is that every worker pays into the pension scheme, now there is nothing stopping private companys doing the same with their workers. I myself over the 37 years paid into the pension scheme  approximately £30,000. I have known people in the private sector who have said they would never pay into a pension. Some people only think of today why other think of tomorrow. Remember also that all the pay and conditions had to be fought for with the help of the unions and than the private sector jumps on board for the same things without fighting for them, so the States workers in away help the private sector even that the private sector is normally paid better than States workers. Ask how come we now have Mayday as a holiday and other bank holidays, days of in lieu etc, because the States workers fought for all those things. I hope that this clears some of the miss guided talk on states workers. Just one other thing to agree with you on one thing and that is when i started work there was 165 men in the department and one manager and one under manager. Also 4 chargehands. when i left there was 5 under managers and one manager with a total of 55 working men under them. The civil service is WELL over loaded only because the main man in charge does not know what he is doing.

[White Knight]

Stand pay is a payment made to a worker who will be on callout for 1 week outside of working hoirs. If there was 8 workers in a department then a worker would be on callout 1 week in 8. If called out they also get the going rate of overtime. Remember they cannot for 1 whole week go out to functions or have a drink in case they are called out between end of working day to begining of the starting day. One of the main reasons for it was that the workers would not come in on overtime because of the way they were treated bt management in the working day. So this payment which the men excepted made sure that management hard cover in out of hours. Takes me back to my point on civil servants and pay.

[Shiva]

White Knight,

If you are looking for sympathy and support from those of us in the private sector you are knocking on the wrong door. States Workers are entirely funded out of the tax revenue generated from the private sector, you are a service that we pay for. If the private sector contracts as a result of the recession, the pot out of which you are paid gets smaller. Just where do you think the 7% pay increase you are seeking will come from? Or, are you advocating that the rest of us should pay more in tax just to keep you and your co-workers in the manner to which you have become accustomed?