The decision by the RMT union to go ahead with strike action for three days this week has proved a controversial one, with some critics trying to suggest that railway workers are relatively well paid when compared to the UK average, Bristol Post reports.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps repeated the suggestion in the Commons and has continued to defend his government’s handling of the situation.
While Mr Shapps may have been correct in his assessment that the median salary for railway workers of around £44,000 is well above the UK average (£25,971), this figure includes train and tram drivers who earn significantly more (£59,189) than many of those who work in the sector.
When these workers are removed from the equation - a crucial step as most are represented by a separate union and not involved in this week’s action - the median figure falls to around £33,000.
While this is well above the UK average for 2021, it is much closer to the median salary of nurses (£31,093) that the minister was using to make a point about the strike.
Bristol Post examines what other key sector workers - such as bus drivers, teachers and NHS staff - earn in the UK:
Teachers
According to the latest ONS data for professions, in 2021 teachers across various levels of facilities earn the following median wages:
Teaching and educational professionals - £36,935
Higher education and teaching professionals - £46,161
Further education and teaching professionals - £33,630
Secondary education teaching professionals - £39,419
Primary and nursery education teaching professionals - £35,186
Special needs education teaching professionals - £30,733
Senior professionals of education establishments - £58,268
Education advisors and school inspectors - £36,531
Teaching and other education professionals - £21,851
NHS workers
For NHS staff, the ONS compiled the following data on median salaries for 2021:
Health professionals - £33,216
Medical practitioners - £56,869
Psychologists - £36,261
Pharmacists - £38,000
Ophthalmic opticians - £34,870
Podiatrists - £31,637
Therapy professionals - £31,365
Physiotherapists - £33,040
Occupational therapists - £28,984
Speech and language therapists - £28,158
Nursing and midwifery professionals - £30,882
Nurses - £31,093
Bus drivers
According to the latest data from the ONS, the median salary for bus and coach drivers in the UK was £23,85.
Source: Bristol Post
(Link via original reporting)
The decision by the RMT union to go ahead with strike action for three days this week has proved a controversial one, with some critics trying to suggest that railway workers are relatively well paid when compared to the UK average, Bristol Post reports.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps repeated the suggestion in the Commons and has continued to defend his government’s handling of the situation.
While Mr Shapps may have been correct in his assessment that the median salary for railway workers of around £44,000 is well above the UK average (£25,971), this figure includes train and tram drivers who earn significantly more (£59,189) than many of those who work in the sector.
When these workers are removed from the equation - a crucial step as most are represented by a separate union and not involved in this week’s action - the median figure falls to around £33,000.
While this is well above the UK average for 2021, it is much closer to the median salary of nurses (£31,093) that the minister was using to make a point about the strike.
Bristol Post examines what other key sector workers - such as bus drivers, teachers and NHS staff - earn in the UK:
Teachers
According to the latest ONS data for professions, in 2021 teachers across various levels of facilities earn the following median wages:
Teaching and educational professionals - £36,935
Higher education and teaching professionals - £46,161
Further education and teaching professionals - £33,630
Secondary education teaching professionals - £39,419
Primary and nursery education teaching professionals - £35,186
Special needs education teaching professionals - £30,733
Senior professionals of education establishments - £58,268
Education advisors and school inspectors - £36,531
Teaching and other education professionals - £21,851
NHS workers
For NHS staff, the ONS compiled the following data on median salaries for 2021:
Health professionals - £33,216
Medical practitioners - £56,869
Psychologists - £36,261
Pharmacists - £38,000
Ophthalmic opticians - £34,870
Podiatrists - £31,637
Therapy professionals - £31,365
Physiotherapists - £33,040
Occupational therapists - £28,984
Speech and language therapists - £28,158
Nursing and midwifery professionals - £30,882
Nurses - £31,093
Bus drivers
According to the latest data from the ONS, the median salary for bus and coach drivers in the UK was £23,85.
Source: Bristol Post
(Link via original reporting)