The difference in treatment of public sector employees on varying grades is more troubling that disparity in wage rates, says a union chief.

Angela Moffatt, negotiations officer at public sector union Prospect, has entered the debate started by Onchan MHK Julie Edge, who wants an investigation into disparities in wage rates, particularly among senior civil servants, when compared with equivalent positions in the UK.

Mrs Edge has also hit out at the number of occasions when recently retired senior civil servants have ended up working for the government on a consultant basis.

Ms Moffatt warned against generalisations on salaries and pointed out that the Isle of Man public sector has to compete in the marketplace for expertise - both the private sector and the UK. She also guarded against straight comparisons between roles in the UK and the Isle of Man, which may not always take into account differences such as the cost of living.

She added: ’What troubles us as a union is the different treatment of senior officers against the lower levels.

’It worries me that we see more job losses at the front line and more pay cuts at the front line.’

She said that, on many occasions, when the government tried to make savings, it was those at the front line who were worst hit.

’The fact is, we could probably make bigger savings by streamlining and reducing the amount of posts at senior levels.

’People at the bottom of an organisation don’t know where the bodies are buried. Unless they are organised, they find it hard to put up any resistance and make a difference. Even within unions it is a hard struggle.

’We have seen many, many jobs go. They don’t tend to go in a dramatic way, they go in dribs and drabs.’

Grade reviews seemed to concentrate on those already at the lower end of the pay scale.

’At the union, we see a disproportionate impact on lower grades. There are constant organisational reviews in government and we see posts being downgraded. It tends to be posts at the bottom end.’

But Ms Moffatt also acknowledged that there was a need to attract qualified workers at the higher levels and recruitment problems suggested that it was necessary to offer a good package.

’There has been a struggle in the Isle of Man generally to attract and retain a high calibre of professionals in technical, specialist areas,’ she said.

’Health is the best example of that, but there are other occupations where it is an issue.

’We would have to pay them more here because they won’t come here otherwise - and they certainly wouldn’t stay.

’Public sector salaries need to take account there is a market here and the public sector has to compete with it. That is a factor in some of these salaries.’

Ms Moffatt said she shared Mrs Edge’s concern at the use of consultants.

She said she understood the need to make use of expert skills via consultants in ’exceptional circumstances’, but it should not be relied upon.

’It is basically outsourcing jobs in the most expensive way,’ she said. ’In a way that does not save money.’