Why should public sector CEOs get 15% pay increases, when their staff struggle to keep up with inflation?

In a report released this week, State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble complains that state sector chief executives continue to be underpaid. Despite recently gaining significant percentage increases, those poor public sector CEOs are lucky to take home a $400,000 salary. Does that mean foodbanks now catering for those in a tailored suit and tie?

It is sad that Prebble does not appear to have sympathy for the public sector workers below the level of CEOs, some of whom went on strike last week, in the hope of obtaining far less extravagant pay claims from their public service bosses.

Kevin List of Scoop takes up this issue in the latest 'A Week of It'. I was pleased to see Kevin pick up on a National Union of Public Employees press release from Wednesday last week, featuring a friend of mine, Lynda Boyd. She was commenting in support of Child Youth and Family workers, forced to go on strike after receiving an abysmal wage offer that did not even allow clerical and administrative staff the chance to keep up with inflation.

"At a time when the State Services Commission is talking about pay hikes for public service Chief Executives it is ironic that workers dealing with some of the most vulnerable and challenging people in our society have to take strike action to try and get a decent pay rise. ItÂ’s wrong when frontline workers earning between $10.60 and $12.60 are being offered rises of 3% at a time when public sector CEOs are getting salary increases of 15%,"” said Lynda Boyd of the National Union of Public Employees.

Well said Lynda :)