6 NOVEMBER 2018

Public servants, who earn 34 percent more than their private sector colleagues, need a pay-freeze not a celebration day, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says “Public servants are paid too much. Since the early 1990s, the public-sector wage gap has grown substantially from under 20 percent to above 34 percent.”

“Instead of receiving a celebration day, the Government should freeze their pay. If the Government had retained a public-sector wage gap of 20 percent, taxpayers would save $2.5 billion a year – equivalent to $1445 per household in lower taxes or less Government debt.”

“Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that public servants won’t be at work tomorrow to cut the cake and celebrate. Public servants take an average of 8.5 days of sick leave per year, compared to the private sector average of 4.7 days per year, which comes at a cost to the taxpayer of $173 million per year. The Government should demand the same standards as the private sector and give taxpayers a break.”

The report – Public Sector Wage Gap – is available at www.taxpayers.org.nz/wage_gap.

ENDS

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