Public sector pay falls €42.75 per week in 3 years

As the Government seeks further cuts to public sector pay, it has emerged that gross week earnings in the sector have fallen by almost six times more than those in the private sector.

According to the CSO’s latest earnings and labour costs report, in the three years to the end of 2012, public sector earnings fell by €42.75 per week or 4.4%. That compared to a decline of €7.60 per week or 1.2% in the private sector.

The public service wages are operating off a higher baseline — in the fourth quarter of 2012, the average weekly wage in the private sector was €623.43 compared to €921.99.