Semi state salaries

Tim Robbins

From the Irish Times today, page nine. Couldn't find it online so just typed it out.

ESB: average pay - €75,500, €94,300 including pension
Bord Gáis average pay - €67,300, €77,200 including pension
Bord na Móna average pay - €44,800, €46,900 including pension
Eirgrid average pay - €83,400, €96,900 - including pension
DAA average pay - €49,300, €51,700 - including pension
IAA average pay - €95,600, €120,300 -including pension
Dublin Port average pay - €67,900, €110,600 - including pension
CIE average pay - €49,100, €54,000 - including pension
An Post average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
RTE average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
Coillte average pay - €45,600, €63,700 including pension

fred252

mental

danbohan

Tim Robbins wrote: »

From the Irish Times today, page nine. Couldn't find it online so just typed it out.

ESB: average pay - €75,500, €94,300 including pension
Bord Gáis average pay - €67,300, €77,200 including pension
Bord na Móna average pay - €44,800, €46,900 including pension
Eirgrid average pay - €83,400, €96,900 - including pension
DAA average pay - €49,300, €51,700 - including pension
IAA average pay - €95,600, €120,300 -including pension
Dublin Port average pay - €67,900, €110,600 - including pension
CIE average pay - €49,100, €54,000 - including pension
An Post average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
RTE average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
Coillte average pay - €45,600, €63,700 including pension

hope you sent this to imf /eu . crazy crazy bankrupt country

femur61

I didn't see whole article yet but regarding the top pay wasn't it approved by Lenihan?

bamboozle

CIE should be first to go, 7 million losses a week in 2009 - get rid fast.


Noting that the group received €3 billion in capital grants between 2002 and 2009 and incurred operating losses of €371 million in 2009, the report suggests Government policy should seek to limit the level of public subsidy in the area and recommends that capital to be invested in further transport projects should be “severely constrained”.

snubbleste

Contact the german media
Bild is pretty sensationalist bild.de

RichardAnd

I hope this doesn't find it's way into a german paper

bamboozle

RichardAnd wrote: »

I hope this doesn't find it's way into a german paper

i hope it does..and fast

RichardAnd

bamboozle wrote: »

i hope it does..and fast

I know why you say that but I can't agree. Our reputation abroad is low enough as it is.

Still...the truth should always be told.

dan_d

I actually have experience of interviewing with 2 semi-state companies and the salaries they offered vs one private company for the same position, and the salary offered. That was in the last 6 months.

There was 10k+ between what the private company offered and what one of the semi-states was offering.

There was 15k between the same private company and the other semi-state.

I repeat - this was in the last 6 months. When asked by one of the semi-states what I would expect in pay, I said I didn't really know as the market had taken such a hit but I thought it would be in or around the mid-20's for the position. (which happened to be what the private company offered me)

I was told not to be so ridiculous, they'd never pay me that small an amount.

Personal experience, therefore, is telling me that there's a lot of people still living in cloud cuckoo land...and I'd imagine those figures are fairly accurate.

syklops

That would explain why the ESB are saying today that they should not be sold off as the country would lose money. They know they would not get anything like what they get, salary-wise, under a private enterprise.

WalterMitty

yeah, workers in these places havent even suffered the cuts and levies that the other public workers have suffered. ITs disgracefull that our energy workers,airtraffic controllers, train drivers etc earn so much more than UK /EU average despite the country being bankrupt.

Lumbo

WalterMitty wrote: »

yeah, workers in these places havent even suffered the cuts and levies that the other public workers have suffered. ITs disgracefull that our energy workers,airtraffic controllers, train drivers etc earn so much more than UK /EU average despite the country being bankrupt.

Can you back that up with a link to figures? It would be interesting to see actual comparisions.

syklops

WalterMitty wrote: »

yeah, workers in these places havent even suffered the cuts and levies that the other public workers have suffered. ITs disgracefull that our energy workers,airtraffic controllers, train drivers etc earn so much more than UK /EU average despite the country being bankrupt.

The Air Corps offer ATC(Air Traffic Control) training every few years. A mate of mine(army reserve) is a qualified ATC, and he works in dunnes, on 21k a year.

What they should do is next time ATC strike, is gather all the ATC trained personnel, Army, Air Corps, Navy etc, and put them in place and double their salaries, and let the unions starve while they strike.

Is it too late to clone Margaret Thatcher?

whiteonion

syklops wrote: »

The Air Corps offer ATC(Air Traffic Control) training every few years. A mate of mine(army reserve) is a qualified ATC, and he works in dunnes, on 21k a year.

What they should do is next time ATC strike, is gather all the ATC trained personnel, Army, Air Corps, Navy etc, and put them in place and double their salaries, and let the unions starve while they strike.

Is it too late to clone Margaret Thatcher?

It's to late for Thatcher, Ireland needs someone like Pinochet.

Lumbo

whiteonion wrote: »

It's to late for Thatcher, Ireland needs someone like Pinochet.

Sure that would only give you a reason to complain about Grave Diggers overtime.

RichardAnd

whiteonion wrote: »

It's to late for Thatcher, Ireland needs someone like Pinochet.

Whilst I'm always of two minds about many thing, I would advice you to read up a little before you say things like that.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile_under_Pinochet#Human_rights_violations


Be careful what you wish for.

Devi

Im not in a semi state by the way but does anybody notice a patteren on boards since the sh*t hit the fan, First we blame PS then SW now the semi states, arguements are vaid in all just feels like a witch hunt going from one group to another. At the end of the day we all got into this mess and we all have to take a hit, end of imo.

pawrick

RTE figures seem very low in comparrision to others - wonder are contractors included in those figures as they wouldn't be directly employed staff?

Tabnabs

Is there any way you can find out how much the CEO of a semi state was paid in the most recent financial year?

population

Applied for a semi state position about 10 years ago as I knew the wage differentials between what I was earning and what the exact same job was being paid in the semi state was frankly staggering. 16K plus pension entitlements right off the bat. Went through the whole interview procedure, did all the exams and got through with flying colours until it came to the final decision as to who would get the job between myself and another chap. He got the job and I was obviously gutted but I was a bit miffed to find out a few weeks later that he was the son of somebody who headed up a department. Could just have been a coincidence and who knows maybe he is and always will be a better worker than I could have hoped to be, but it always left a bit of an odd taste in the mouth.

Gumbo

Tabnabs wrote: »

Is there any way you can find out how much the CEO of a semi state was paid in the most recent financial year?

Esb guy took a cut to 500k last year so I believe. He is also retiring this year if rumours are to be beleived.

population

Devi wrote: »

Im not in a semi state by the way but does anybody notice a patteren on boards since the sh*t hit the fan, First we blame PS then SW now the semi states, arguements are vaid in all just feels like a witch hunt going from one group to another. At the end of the day we all got into this mess and we all have to take a hit, end of imo.

Look the wages in semi states are incredibly high by comparable EU standards. This is not a witch hunt. We are broke and common sense has to come into the equation sooner rather than later

dan_d

Devi wrote: »

Im not in a semi state by the way but does anybody notice a patteren on boards since the sh*t hit the fan, First we blame PS then SW now the semi states, arguements are vaid in all just feels like a witch hunt going from one group to another. At the end of the day we all got into this mess and we all have to take a hit, end of imo.

A fair point. But I will say that my experience was fairly recent and left me - astounded. My only thought on it is that they're all nuts, and have no idea what's going on in the real world.And that's it. But it'll catch up with them all sooner or later.;)

RichardAnd

population wrote: »

Applied for a semi state position about 10 years ago as I knew the wage differentials between what I was earning and what the exact same job was being paid in the semi state was frankly staggering. 16K plus pension entitlements right off the bat. Went through the whole interview procedure, did all the exams and got through with flying colours until it came to the final decision as to who would get the job between myself and another chap. He got the job and I was obviously gutted but I was a bit miffed to find out a few weeks later that he was the son of somebody who headed up a department. Could just have been a coincidence and who knows maybe he is and always will be a better worker than I could have hoped to be, but it always left a bit of an odd taste in the mouth.

I can tell you, as I have seen it first hand, that some semi state bodies are absolutly rancid with nepotism. I don't like to do the typical boards.ie thing of "my mate knew this guy who did this thing" but I have heard stories from people within the semi-state (my dad works in Irish Rail).

One of the worst offenders for this is the NAtional Library. I'm something of an amature archivist and the NLI is infamous amoungst archivists and librarians as being a closed shop.

I'm not saying this goes on all the time but this "who ya know" culture boils my blood sometimes and it's something we need to grow out of if we ever want to mature as a society.

Tora Bora

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:(

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:(

Fckuing Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm 51 now, and to think I turned down job offers with both ESB and predessor of Coillte the Irish Forrestry something or other when I left the christian brothers ..........

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Fckuing Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:mad::(:eek::o:confused:

irishh_bob

syklops wrote: »

That would explain why the ESB are saying today that they should not be sold off as the country would lose money. They know they would not get anything like what they get, salary-wise, under a private enterprise.

i imagine arch charlatan and faux socilist brendan ogle was on the airwaves this past week , spouting his usual guff about neo liberalism and vulture capitalists buying up state assetts , the only thing that phoney cares about is maintaining an average 75 k salary for this esb workers

zootroid

irishh_bob wrote: »

i imagine arch charlatan and faux socilist brendan ogle was on the airwaves this past week , spouting his usual guff about neo liberalism and vulture capitalists buying up state assetts , the only thing that phoney cares about is maintaining an average 75 k salary for this esb workers

Anyone watching prime time this evening? They had average pay at the ESB at 93k!!

They also had some one trying to debate with Leo Varadkar, saying that semi state workers couldn't afford to take a pay cut. You'd wonder what planet people like that are on

donkey balls

syklops wrote: »

The Air Corps offer ATC(Air Traffic Control) training every few years. A mate of mine(army reserve) is a qualified ATC, and he works in dunnes, on 21k a year.

What they should do is next time ATC strike, is gather all the ATC trained personnel, Army, Air Corps, Navy etc, and put them in place and double their salaries, and let the unions starve while they strike.

Is it too late to clone Margaret Thatcher?

I think you will find that a millitary ATCO has different training to a civi one the same with flying planes, As for Pinochet may I suggest you talk to some people from Chile and the bad memories they have off that b,stad or even better walk down Benardo O Higgins boulevard in down town Santiago saying how grest he was and wait to get lynched.:rolleyes:

As for the ESB bashing that seems to go on alot esp in the sindo that average wage could be used for the likes of Ryanair after all they have over 2400 pilots earning 80/160k PA then ground engineers station ops mgmt this would bring there average wage upwith the ESB/IAA.
Btw I have a mate who works for the ESB and there is no way that he is on 75k pa the only way to sort this crap out if there was a break down in salaries for each positions for all semi states,I also wonder how much Mc Carthy&co is on.

Idbatterim

the salaries and pensions are depraved. Start from the top down. To hell with welfare at the moment, this is in such a different league when it comes to taking the absolute p*ss! I can only imagine if we paid the head of semi states some mickey mouse money like 200k odd what poor quality candidates would throw their hat in ring! The implosion of the economy here is possibly the best thing that has happened to this country. As suggested I emailed Bild Zeitung, translated everything into German, got an autoreply. I think the foreign taxpayers bailing us out, should be fully clued into whats going on here! Lets be honest lads if we were doing ok and bailing out say Greece and their Public Servants, Civil Servants, Semi state employees etc were on double / triple what our equivalent were earning, would be really be having it?

dan_d

zootroid wrote: »

Anyone watching prime time this evening? They had average pay at the ESB at 93k!!

They also had some one trying to debate with Leo Varadkar, saying that semi state workers couldn't afford to take a pay cut. You'd wonder what planet people like that are on

Ah, the word average.

Does everyone really understand what "average" means or does it need to be explained again?

It's hardly a fair measurement of the situation.

The easier thing to do (particularly in the case of the PS) would be to give the average pay per grade, or per position (ie in semi states, average pay for electricians, engineers, admin, HR etc). It's hardly a good measurement to give the average across an organisation.It doesn't mean much.

Count Dooku

Tim Robbins wrote: »

From the Irish Times today, page nine. Couldn't find it online so just typed it out.

ESB: average pay - €75,500, €94,300 including pension
Bord Gáis average pay - €67,300, €77,200 including pension
Bord na Móna average pay - €44,800, €46,900 including pension
Eirgrid average pay - €83,400, €96,900 - including pension
DAA average pay - €49,300, €51,700 - including pension
IAA average pay - €95,600, €120,300 -including pension
Dublin Port average pay - €67,900, €110,600 - including pension
CIE average pay - €49,100, €54,000 - including pension
An Post average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
RTE average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
Coillte average pay - €45,600, €63,700 including pension

Socialism for chosen, capitalism for everybody else
Semi-state staff together with management effectively privatized national assets and enjoy best of two worlds - job security in sheltered by state monopolies and absence of control from public

sollar

Idbatterim wrote: »

I think the foreign taxpayers bailing us out, should be fully clued into whats going on here! Lets be honest lads if we were doing ok and bailing out say Greece and their Public Servants, Civil Servants, Semi state employees etc were on double / triple what our equivalent were earning, would be really be having it?

You've bought this whole bailout talk.

I see it more as a loan with fairly tough interest rates (to pay off sombody elses debts). My mortgage rate is lower than this so called bailout rate and it sure doesn't feel like Bank of Ireland is bailing me out in any way.

Idbatterim

You've bought this whole bailout talk.

I see it more as a loan with fairly tough interest rates (to pay off sombody elses debts). My mortgage rate is lower than this so called bailout rate and it sure doesn't feel like Bank of Ireland is bailing me out in any way.

what is your proposal? borrow from bond markets at 10+ %? I dont agree with the blanket guarantee. I also dont agree with the insane pay levels in the semi states, two wrongs dont make a right! The difference with your mortgage is your entered into it voluntarily! In turns ofcourse the Germans are bailing themselves out to an extent. But this thread is about semi state salaries. I dont think one person who will post here, will think they are anything other than a joke!

th3 s1aught3r

Tim Robbins wrote: »

From the Irish Times today, page nine. Couldn't find it online so just typed it out.

ESB: average pay - €75,500, €94,300 including pension
Bord Gáis average pay - €67,300, €77,200 including pension
Bord na Móna average pay - €44,800, €46,900 including pension
Eirgrid average pay - €83,400, €96,900 - including pension
DAA average pay - €49,300, €51,700 - including pension
IAA average pay - €95,600, €120,300 -including pension
Dublin Port average pay - €67,900, €110,600 - including pension
CIE average pay - €49,100, €54,000 - including pension
An Post average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
RTE average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
Coillte average pay - €45,600, €63,700 including pension

Is it any wonder that the EU think we are incapable of running the country. I dont blame them so much what they are getting, anyone in a job will take the maximum they are offered, I blame the shambolic government who allowed these salaries to happen !

tayto lover

dan_d wrote: »

Ah, the word average.

Does everyone really understand what "average" means or does it need to be explained again?

It's hardly a fair measurement of the situation.

The easier thing to do (particularly in the case of the PS) would be to give the average pay per grade, or per position (ie in semi states, average pay for electricians, engineers, admin, HR etc). It's hardly a good measurement to give the average across an organisation.It doesn't mean much.

Exactly. The word "average" causes a lot of problems. When i worked in the P.S. for 8 years in the 1970's the average pay was a lot more than what i was receiving. It is the same now. When someone says that the P.S. average is 40k and some P.S. worker sees that and he/she is only getting 29k it must be hard to take when all the P.S. bashing starts. People need to be able to understand that the people at the top are the real earners. Thats why cuts should start at the top and not lower down as is always the case.

Ben D Bus

Nobody has mentioned the economist in Primetime who has actually done some international comparisons.

His view was that the average ESB salary was within international norms for electricity companies. Lots of skilled labour in that business.

He didn't hold the same view of all the semi-states though.

I've just checked my (semi-state) salary against the Brightwater & Sigmar recruitment salary surveys for 2011 and my salary is boringly average And if the Morgan McKinley survey is to be believed then I'm significantly underpaid.

So the only real comparison is what would an electrician/engineer/accountant/bus driver with x years experience earn in a semi-state compared to a private sector company.

As an aside, I thought it was funny that Clare Daly had no problem with "workers sharing in the success of a semi-state" but thought it obscene that the top management did the same. Pure crazy ideology.

gurramok

And people wonder why alot of us have a gripe paying our ESB/Gas/TV licence/postal charges/bus & rail fares when we know the salaries at said companies are exhorbantly high and in most cases until recently said companies are not open to competition in their sector!

population

donkey balls wrote: »

As for the ESB bashing that seems to go on alot esp in the sindo that average wage could be used for the likes of Ryanair after all they have over 2400 pilots earning 80/160k PA then ground engineers station ops mgmt this would bring there average wage upwith the ESB/IAA.

Btw I have a mate who works for the ESB and there is no way that he is on 75k pa the only way to sort this crap out if there was a break down in salaries for each positions for all semi states,I also wonder how much Mc Carthy&co is on.

Ryanair are a private company. It does not affect me in the slightest what they choose to pay their employees. ESB are a semi state. We subsidise their wages, therefore I am more concerned about their levels of pay.

On your second point about your mate who is on nowhere near 75k, well two can play at that game. My ex girlfriends father was a fitter turner in the ESB and he made well in excess of 75k

population

Ben D Bus wrote: »

Nobody has mentioned the economist in Primetime who has actually done some international comparisons.

His view was that the average ESB salary was within international norms for electricity companies. Lots of skilled labour in that business.

He didn't hold the same view of all the semi-states though.

I've just checked my (semi-state) salary against the Brightwater & Sigmar recruitment salary surveys for 2011 and my salary is boringly average And if the Morgan McKinley survey is to be believed then I'm significantly underpaid.

So the only real comparison is what would an electrician/engineer/accountant/bus driver with x years experience earn in a semi-state compared to a private sector company.

As an aside, I thought it was funny that Clare Daly had no problem with "workers sharing in the success of a semi-state" but thought it obscene that the top management did the same. Pure crazy ideology.

An awful lot more

Idbatterim

Ryanair are a private company. It does not affect me in the slightest what they choose to pay their employees. ESB are a semi state. We subsidise their wages, therefore I am more concerned about their levels of pay.

Exactly, Im surprised this has to even be mentioned! Then again if we cut SS pay, sure with what they are paid, they are obviously of such high caliber, they will walk into massive positions in private companies if they are not happy with new salaries, Michael O'Leary had better watch out! What private companies pay their employees is no concern of mine, as has been mentioned the PS and CS and SS salaries and pensions are a totally different kettle of fish!

meditraitor

zootroid wrote: »

Anyone watching prime time this evening? They had average pay at the ESB at 93k!!

They also had some one trying to debate with Leo Varadkar, saying that semi state workers couldn't afford to take a pay cut. You'd wonder what planet people like that are on

That was Claire Daly, socialist TD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Daly

She is a SIPTU shop steward in aer lingus so her point of view (although reprehensible) are understandable.

poskantor

This all seems like a bit of a witch hunt to me. I have worked in the semi state and private sectors and given my area of expertise I have an intimate knowledge of the salaries and how they are determined in the companies I have worked with.

Generally salaries are on par between private and semi state for comparable roles. I'll admit this isn’t the case across the board but there are not the massive wholesale discrepancies that people like to suggest.

For most of the semi states their staff are more educated and skilled than the average company workforce so a comparison against average general salaries will always look bad for those who dont want to look behind the numbers. For a more reflective comparison people should be comparing semi state salaries vs other high skilled companies.

As for MD salaries, while they are hard to comprehend for average workers, the reality is that these are the remuneration levels across the private sector also. Have a look at the annual reports of a few of the top private Irish companies for the MD comp you might be surprised...

donkey balls

population wrote: »

Ryanair are a private company. It does not affect me in the slightest what they choose to pay their employees. ESB are a semi state. We subsidise their wages, therefore I am more concerned about their levels of pay.

On your second point about your mate who is on nowhere near 75k, well two can play at that game. My ex girlfriends father was a fitter turner in the ESB and he made well in excess of 75k

HOW? considering they pay the govt a subsidy and I have never heard of them getting money from the govt,As for the electricty costs that it is the CER who sets the price not the ESB wait and see what happens to the electricity costs within the next few months since the ESB are now allowed to compete with the other providers.
As other posters have said in this thread the average word is being used to freely and a break down for each grade should be published before those headlines of 75k are published.

RichardAnd

donkey balls wrote: »

HOW? considering they pay the govt a subsidy and I have never heard of them getting money from the govt,As for the electricty costs that it is the CER who sets the price not the ESB wait and see what happens to the electricity costs within the next few months since the ESB are now allowed to compete with the other providers.
As other posters have said in this thread the average word is being used to freely and a break down for each grade should be published before those headlines of 75k are published.

I kind of agree with the scope of this. As far as I know, the ESB actually do turn a profit and, in my opinion, electricity in this country isn't really that expensive. They certainly pay their staff very well but if they're making money, not charging a fortune for their product then it's justifiable I guess.

Can't say the same for other semi states now but if they make a profit then wouldn't that mean their wages bills are their own business?

population

donkey balls wrote: »

HOW? considering they pay the govt a subsidy and I have never heard of them getting money from the govt,As for the electricty costs that it is the CER who sets the price not the ESB wait and see what happens to the electricity costs within the next few months since the ESB are now allowed to compete with the other providers.

By leaving them in control of the grid, making actual competition in the sector nigh on impossible

Dob74

Tim Robbins wrote: »

From the Irish Times today, page nine. Couldn't find it online so just typed it out.

ESB: average pay - €75,500, €94,300 including pension
Bord Gáis average pay - €67,300, €77,200 including pension
Bord na Móna average pay - €44,800, €46,900 including pension
Eirgrid average pay - €83,400, €96,900 - including pension
DAA average pay - €49,300, €51,700 - including pension
IAA average pay - €95,600, €120,300 -including pension
Dublin Port average pay - €67,900, €110,600 - including pension
CIE average pay - €49,100, €54,000 - including pension
An Post average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
RTE average pay - €59,700, €65,600 including pension
Coillte average pay - €45,600, €63,700 including pension

What are the average salaries of the NEW semi states Anglo, AIB etc?
Anglo is over 100k.

So the Irish Times is running anti public sector acticles. To soften us up, for selling off blue chip profitable public owned companies. Thought that IBEC used the spindo for that.

Even if you are a Diehard neo-liberal it does not make sence to sell anything at the present time.
However, Looks like the great and the good will get there way again and make off with the taxpayers prize assets . While the taxpayer takes over sh1t like our banks.

donkey balls

population wrote: »

By leaving them in control of the grid, making actual competition in the sector nigh on impossible

Yet we had the lowest electricty cost before the CER was established so leaving the grid into private hands what would that do? have a look at the likes of NTL and others who just put there price up at a whim and not one thing we can do about it.
Not unless we do what that aul cnut harney told us to do and shop around I cant beleive how short sighted people can be in these times they need to see the big picture.

gigino

gurramok wrote: »

And people wonder why alot of us have a gripe paying our ESB/Gas/TV licence/postal charges/bus & rail fares when we know the salaries at said companies are exhorbantly high and in most cases until recently said companies are not open to competition in their sector!

its a sick little country when semi state people get so much

I_hate_FE1s

gigino wrote: »

its a sick little country when semi state people get so much

Get so much from whom? Commercial semi states generate income through levies etc and the salaries and pensions and paid through this. Granted they are guaranteed by the state, but a profitable organisation cannot be forced to implement a pension levy in order to help the state pay for pensions if the organisation is actually paying the pensions, not the state.

I agree that loss making organisations should be looked at but cutting salaries of CEO won't achieve a whole lot....they will simply get a job elsewhere with their experience unless they have contributed to the organisations failings - something people recruiting senior executives will be able to assess.

We are very guillible and don't scratch beneath the surface enough. Our attitude towards people who have more than us for whatever reason, luck, expertise etc is disgusting. Unless it changes we will never get sufficient reform in the public sector, competitiveness etc.

dan_d

poskantor wrote: »

This all seems like a bit of a witch hunt to me. I have worked in the semi state and private sectors and given my area of expertise I have an intimate knowledge of the salaries and how they are determined in the companies I have worked with.

Generally salaries are on par between private and semi state for comparable roles. I'll admit this isn’t the case across the board but there are not the massive wholesale discrepancies that people like to suggest.

For most of the semi states their staff are more educated and skilled than the average company workforce so a comparison against average general salaries will always look bad for those who dont want to look behind the numbers. For a more reflective comparison people should be comparing semi state salaries vs other high skilled companies.

As for MD salaries, while they are hard to comprehend for average workers, the reality is that these are the remuneration levels across the private sector also. Have a look at the annual reports of a few of the top private Irish companies for the MD comp you might be surprised...

This is a good point, but the thing is that it only works when things are good.

Now, things are bad, many companies have put in fairly severe wage cuts. Their top level staff also take these cuts. But the semi-states have not taken comparable cuts (to my knowledge)

It's the taxpayer's money, and suddenly, the tax payers are very,very interested in what their money is being spent on.And let's face it, we're running such a huge deficit that we can't allow average pay like this to continue (though I hate the word) - same as what would happen in a private company when they went deeply into the red.