PUBLIC SECTOR
Government announces fair pay review for public sector
An inquiry into the pay of public sector workers has been unveiled by prime minister David Cameron in an attempt to improve fairness. The prime minister told BBC One's Andrew Marr show on 16 May that the review would be headed by Will Hutton, vice chair of The Work Foundation.
Cameron said NHS managers and other senior civil servants should not earn "more than 20 times the lowest paid" in their organisations. The same principles should apply to the BBC, he added, although it would not be included in the review as it was independent.
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A final word
"The idea is to improve fairness in the public sector and say that, between the lowest paid and highest paid in the public sector, there shouldn't be a difference of more than 20 times.
"In any organisation in the public sector, the highest paid shouldn't be paid more than 20 times the lowest paid. It may mean lifting the lowest paid, it may mean reducing the pay of the highest paid, but it will make our country and our public services fairer." - Prime minister David Cameron, 16 May 2010.
Want to know more?
Some further reading:
Public sector "fair pay" review announced, by Ruth Keeling, Local Government Chronicle, 17 May 2010.
Will Hutton to lead public sector pay review for coalition, by Anushka Asthana, The Observer, 16 May 2010.
Fair pay: Will CEOs play ball with Hutton?, by Polly Toynbee, The Guardian, 18 May 2010.