Hundreds of Jersey public sector workers earn £70,000+

More than 550 public sector employees in Jersey earned more than £70,000 in 2009, according to new figures.

The salary details were presented to the States by the chief minister.

The 556 States employees were less than 8% of the total public sector workforce.

They included some civil servants, senior emergency services and medical personnel, plus some judiciary members, five teachers and two manual workers.

In his statement to the States, Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur said the earnings included overtime, standby and other allowances, in addition to basic salaries.

They also include an employer's pension contribution of 15.6% which was also applied to basic salaries.

The figures also revealed that - including pensions and other allowances - the Bailiff, Michael Birt, and island Chief Executive Bill Ogley earned more than £250,000 each.

After the publication of the remuneration report,, external the chief minister said the salaries of high standing civil servants were not excessive.

He said: "Many people think that chief officers and seniors employees are very highly paid.

"But I just remind them of a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General that said in 2008 that whilst staff at lower levels were well paid, staff at higher grades were relatively underpaid.

"It may sound strange to look at those figures and read those figures, but that is the fact."

Mr Le Sueur said the term 'civil servant' also included a number of other professions such as: the States Vet, official analysts, air traffic controllers, meteorologists, engineers, accountants, plus customs and immigration officers.

In the health sector, senior ambulance officers, modern matrons, physiotherapists, pathologists, microbiologists, radiologists and pharmacists also came under the designation, he added.