Welsh Conservatives today expressed surprise at an admission from the Welsh Government that 50% of its managers have no managerial responsibilities.
In a letter to Shadow Local Government Minister Janet Finch-Saunders AM, the Permanent Secretary confirmed that in the Welsh Government’s Local Government & Communities Department:
‘Approximately 50% of the… roles carried out by staff whose grades fall within the managerial pay bands do not have managerial responsibilities.’
Earlier this year, Welsh Conservatives revealed that almost 80% or 4,189 of the Welsh Government’s 5,424 civil servants were employed on managerial pay bands.
New figures from the Local Government & Communities Department show that 76% of staff are paid managerial salaries and that 112 members of staff could be paid over £50,000.
Janet Finch-Saunders, Assembly Member for Aberconwy, said, “It is an astonishing revelation from the Welsh Labour Government that 50% of its civil servants on managerial rates of pay have no managerial responsibilities whatsoever.
“Categorising almost 80% of civil servants as managers appears excessive and gives the impression of a top-heavy civil service structure.
“Hard-pressed taxpayers will find it extraordinary that thousands of civil servants are being paid managerial salaries but don’t have a managerial job.
“Everyone deserves a fair rate of pay commensurate with their responsibilities, skills and effort, yet this apparently overloaded structure seems to suggest senior pay without senior responsibilities.
“The Welsh Government has a responsibility to public, private and voluntary sector employers to demonstrate best practice, however it is difficult to imagine any business prospering when 80% of staff are classed as managers.
“There is a compelling case for the Welsh Labour Government to examine the staffing structures within its department and provide reassurances that it is both fit for purpose and delivering value for money for the taxpayer.”
