More than 480 public servants in Leicestershire earn £100,000-plus
More than 480 public servants in Leicestershire earn more than £100,000 a year, it has been revealed.
The vice chancellor of the University of Leicester, Sir Robert Burgess, tops the public sector rich list with a £245,000 package in the past financial year.
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Sir Robert Burgess, tops the public sector rich list with a £245,000 package in the past financial year
He is followed by seven staff from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust – including surgeons, physicians and the director of older people's services – who all earn more than £190,000.
Highest-placed council official, 17th on the list, is Leicestershire County Council chief executive John Sinnott, on £191,105.
The information was compiled by the Bureau for Investigative Journalism and shows public sector workers in the county who earn more than £100,000.
There were 481 people in Leicestershire in the 2009/10 financial year who earned a six-figure salary, and 122 of those pocketed more than the Prime Minister, who earns £142,000.
The fourth-highest paid non-NHS worker is Leicester City Council's chief executive Sheila Lock on £174,165.
Mark Irvine, area organiser for public sector union Unison, said: "Six million people work in the public sector – and only a tiny percentage of those are earning the amounts of money mentioned in this report. Two-thirds of council workers earn £21,000 a year or less.
"Local authorities should be trying to close the gap between their highest and lowest paid workers."
Matthew Sinclair, director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "It is becoming increasingly clear that remuneration for senior staff has got out of hand and there needs to be restraint in order to get the country through a fiscal crisis without imposing an even greater burden on taxpayers.
"Serious action now needs to be taken to restrain public sector pay."
The figures cover the majority of publicly-funded bodies in the area, including Leicester City NHS, Leicestershire Constabulary, Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, district councils and the University of Loughborough.
A spokesman for the University of Leicester said: "The remuneration packages for vice chancellors reflect what it takes to attract, retain and reward individuals of sufficient calibre, experience and talent to ensure that UK universities continue to contribute to our economic recovery, transform lives and remain world leaders in terms of the quality and impact of teaching and research."
A county council spokesman said: "The chief executive's salary is proportionate to his responsibilities and is below the equivalent that would be paid in a comparable private sector role."
Leicester City Council leader Veejay Patel said: "The council already releases the names of those earning more than £100,000. This is right because their salaries are paid from the public purse.
"Salaries within the council are entirely appropriate compared to those in the private sector, other councils and public agencies, given the size of the organisation and the levels of responsibility involved."
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by Mole74, Leicester
Friday, September 24 2010, 7:10PM
“Jessica - David Parsons, the County's Leader, supported John Sinnott's pay package, as did most Tory councillors. Parsons sometimes wears a pinstripe and is Leader of the Conservative Group, hence the phrase pin-stripped Tories! The real issue is whether our highly paid Chief Executives deserve their salaries. As Leicester is now a two-star authority, I suggest Shiela Lock isn't worth £174k a year.”
by Stephen, Melton Mowbray
Friday, September 24 2010, 2:03PM
“"but am I wrong in believing that each department gets its own funding?"
Yes, you are wrong. They get a budget allocated from the central pot.
J, leic If that¿s the case like I stated in the scope of the work place each department not a big player!. can you explain how a council department would run differently if it received say £100 funding or a £100 budget? Because from were I stand as a tax payer there is no difference except in name.”
by Maria, Leicester
Friday, September 24 2010, 11:56AM
“Unfortunate, as an employee of the Univ Leicester we were told ALL staff would receive a 0.5% (HALF A PERCENT) pay rise last year as they couldn't afford any more than that.
It has now come to light that the VC clearly doesn't regard himself as a member of staff here, as he received a reported 18% (Yes, EIGHTEEN) payrise. Unfair? Yes, I think so, given that we are all supposed to be making cutbacks!”
by j, leic
Thursday, September 23 2010, 10:42AM
“"but am I wrong in believing that each department gets its own funding?"
Yes, you are wrong. They get a budget allocated from the central pot.”
by Stephen, Melton Mowbray
Thursday, September 23 2010, 9:27AM
“If the reports ¿a rich list funded by taxpayers¿ are correct, I for one would like someone at County hall to come forward & really justify how Leicestershire County can afford to allow 122 employees to pocket more than £142,00 a year salary & why they are trying to justify this, start thinking about how to justify another 359 employees on a salary of over £100,00 per year!
Mr Veejay Patel the private sector is nothing like the public paradise sector you live & work in, you say the size of the organisation justifies the salaries within the council, but am I wrong in believing that each department gets its own funding? If this is the case then any one department is not that big in the scope of the work place and no way could any one department at county level justify any salary over £100.00 imo.
Mark Irvine is right in saying ¿local authorities should be trying to close the gap between their highest & lowest paid workers¿ in this financial climate it needs to be done by reducing all salaries to under £100,00 per year, but I still feel that £99.999 is a considerable sum to pay someone that dose not have to worry about the next contract coming in, or making enough in sales in a day to pay the business rates let alone council tax that are being shamefully squandered in this manner.
It looks like we are in desperate need of a big rethink about how salaries are set at County Council level & this should be done by the tax payers of Leicestershire not a closed board meeting in County Hall.
This really has got me thinking just how many departments are run from council paradise? I could probably name 20ish off the top of my head that could possibly exist, it may be more it may be less I don¿t know, but I will know in the next few weeks because this really as made me for one start to think.”
by Jessica, Leicester
Thursday, September 23 2010, 9:04AM
“Mole74, don't make statements about that which you have no knowledge of. Tories in Leicester don't agree with you or the salaries reported. It's ludicrous. When will you pseudo-politicos stop smearing the opposition like drowning rats?”
by Jessica, Leicester
Thursday, September 23 2010, 9:01AM
“I want to see a reduction in private and council pay. I want to see justification of those salaries to the letter-not red tape, not bureaucratic excuses.”
by roll, City.....
Thursday, September 23 2010, 6:59AM
“Thordross you are clearly a chav who is some sort of left wing hippy with rose tinted specs and still living in the summer of 69, wake up and smell the coffee, these people are just greedy takers, look at the fat cat bankers? people like you will wake up at some point? maybe Oct 9th.......”
by Peter, Wigston, Leicestershire
Thursday, September 23 2010, 12:10AM
“Nobody is worth £191,000 a year but I would accept a maximum salary of ten times the average salary.”
by Mole 74, Leicester
Wednesday, September 22 2010, 9:20PM
“Leicestershire's pin stripe Tories might think John Sinnott's worth £191k, but do Leicester's Labour councillors really think Sheila Lock is worth £174k? I bet Council staff facing job evaluation, pay cuts, reviews and redundancy don't. The Council is in a right mess and it's not the fault of the politicians. Congratulations to the Mercury for running this story. Keep digging!”