The gap between public sector and private sector wages is “damaging the economy in Northern Ireland”, according to NI Conservatives’ spokesman, Mark Brotherston. He made his comments after the Northern Ireland Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) revealed that the average public sector employee makes 45% more than the average private sector worker.
“There are reasons why public sector wages have historically been higher here, but the gap is widening and it is distorting the job market”, Mark explained. “We already know that we need a far higher proportion of people working in the private sector, if Northern Ireland is to prosper and jobs are to be sustained in the long-term. These figures are a serious blow to those who are trying to rebalance the economy.”
“Simply, the executive has got to focus relentlessly on creating more jobs and better paid jobs in the private sector. That process is likely to involve some public sector reform, which might be painful in the short-term, but it will bring far higher average wages, far greater prosperity and far brighter prospects as we look to the future. This isn’t an easy issue, but the figures are a real source of concern and it is a problem which the Assembly will have to address.”
“Northern Ireland needs a culture of enterprise, a culture of can-do and an efficient, responsive public sector, if we are to compete and trade with the rest of the world. If we bury our heads in the sand on these issues, we will simply store up difficulties for the future.”