More than 800 managers and administrative staff in the Welsh health boards earn more than £50,000 a year with the highest paid on more than £200,000, according to information obtained by Plaid Cymru.
Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales Central Leanne Wood (pictured) has stressed that the lower paid in the public sector should not suffer while top earners go unscathed.
Leanne Wood said:
“Times are tough in the public sector with workers finding their wages and pensions under major threat. The NHS is facing significant financial challenges over the next few years and we need to protect frontline services.
“So it is vital that those at lower end of the pay scales are not expected to see their living standards drop while others continue to sit on very hefty salaries.
“There needs to be a comprehensive review of all top pay across the public sector as a matter of urgency.”
Plaid has called for a maximum wage introduced linking minimum and maximum earnings to close the massive pay gap which went further out of control under the last Labour government in Westminster.
During a question to Welsh Health Minister Lesley Griffiths, Ms Wood called for a maximum wage to be implemented within the NHS to prevent the salaries of high-ranking management from affecting frontline services. In response Ms Griffiths said restricting the pay of the highest paid NHS managers was something she may look into later this year.
In a report published earlier this year for the Coalition Government, Will Hutton of the Work Foundation proposed a new “pay for performance” deal that would see senior executives earn their full salary only if they achieve a basic level of good performance.
This would see them having to “earn back” 10-15 per cent of basic pay.
Pay ratios between top earners and the average, or median, pay in public service organisations should, however, be published, Mr Hutton said, to enable comparison across the public sector, and the same requirement should be placed on all quoted, private sector companies.
Mr Hutton said that public trust in public services could only be maintained if senior public servants’ pay is fair and seen to be fair.”
