Public Money Well Spent?
The BBC's Panorama programme last night lifted the lid - on some of the crazy salaries paid in the public sector.
Panorama revealed that more than 9,000 public sector employees earn more than the prime minister does - David Cameron is paid £142,500 for running the country.
The statistics are jaw dropping and highlight the fact that more than 38,000 public employees earning above £100,000 - and 1,000 people on more than £200,000.
The government has already revealed that pay for the top 5% of earners in the public sector has risen by 51% in the past 10 years.
Predictably the unions responded by saying this was another attack on the public sector.
But it's not - it's about ensuring that public money is well spent - not handed out willy nilly.
The reality is that if people at the top are significantly overpaid for what they do - you can bet your life that layers of managers underneath - will be getting their slice of the action as well.
Panorama requested pay details from UK publicly funded organisations - including local authorities, schools, universities, the BBC, the NHS and various quangos.
Across the UK, the NHS has the highest number of high earners - with more than 26,000 people on more than £100,000.
Of those, nearly 6,500 earn more than Mr Cameron.
The top NHS earner is a GP on an unbelievable £475,000 - and seven out of the top 10 in the NHS are GPs.
Here are some of the eye watering figures quoted in the programme:
38,045 public officials earn over £100,000
1,000 public officials earn over £200,000
9,187 public officials earn more than the Prime Minister
10 GPs earn over £300,000
1 GP in Hillingdon (London) earns £475,000
17 teachers earn more than the Prime Minister
331 BBC managers earn more than £100,000
362 local council employees earn more than Prime Minister
And what these figures don't always take into account are the generous pensions benefits paid to those at the top of the food chain - which are, of course, never available to the foot soldiers on the ground.
Panorama revealed that more than 9,000 public sector employees earn more than the prime minister does - David Cameron is paid £142,500 for running the country.
The statistics are jaw dropping and highlight the fact that more than 38,000 public employees earning above £100,000 - and 1,000 people on more than £200,000.
The government has already revealed that pay for the top 5% of earners in the public sector has risen by 51% in the past 10 years.
Predictably the unions responded by saying this was another attack on the public sector.
But it's not - it's about ensuring that public money is well spent - not handed out willy nilly.
The reality is that if people at the top are significantly overpaid for what they do - you can bet your life that layers of managers underneath - will be getting their slice of the action as well.
Panorama requested pay details from UK publicly funded organisations - including local authorities, schools, universities, the BBC, the NHS and various quangos.
Across the UK, the NHS has the highest number of high earners - with more than 26,000 people on more than £100,000.
Of those, nearly 6,500 earn more than Mr Cameron.
The top NHS earner is a GP on an unbelievable £475,000 - and seven out of the top 10 in the NHS are GPs.
Here are some of the eye watering figures quoted in the programme:
38,045 public officials earn over £100,000
1,000 public officials earn over £200,000
9,187 public officials earn more than the Prime Minister
10 GPs earn over £300,000
1 GP in Hillingdon (London) earns £475,000
17 teachers earn more than the Prime Minister
331 BBC managers earn more than £100,000
362 local council employees earn more than Prime Minister
And what these figures don't always take into account are the generous pensions benefits paid to those at the top of the food chain - which are, of course, never available to the foot soldiers on the ground.
If the trade unions still want to argue that every public pound in the UK - is a pound well spent - then they need their collective heads examined.
