In my last 10 years with a Local Authority I saw the salaries of the Directors and higher-end managers grow out of all proportion compared to the 'coal face' public sector employees who often have to deal with very challenging 'customers' and take the day-to-day flak in the face.
Going back 20 odd years when this disparity really got started and the move for savings was seen as bringing in 'expertise' from the private sector, in my experience it just led to shambles because they were solely charged with financial savings and had little, in any, understanding of the public service LA's are under a duty to undertake by statute.
Over that time we have seen the wage disparity across all work areas grow and those at the bottom end see little betterment in their lifestyles - more the opposite nowadays. Do we see those at the top end similarly 'suffering'? Certainly not in the area where I live given the various building projects I get to see
I am just concerned that those who are not at the top end and so not able to 'milk' the system, whether they are in the private or public sectors, have disproportionally taken the greater brunt of cuts - whatever job they do. OK, so the same system is largely worldwide and I accept that keeping this country 'competitive' sadly means top-end salaries are unlikely to result in fairer wealth distribution anytime soon.
The increasing availabilty of credit has, until very recently and made possible by yes, guess who.... using all sorts of enticing offers and with Governments endorsement, has been the single biggest factor that has got us in the situation we are now.
When I was seeking my first mortgage back in the late sixties, even though me and my future wife were in secure jobs and could demonstrate we had been saving for in excess of 2 years well in excess of what the monthly payments that would be required for the mortgage we needed, we had a devil of a job getting one. The fact that since then those in the private sector 'handling' our money have gradually made credit more and more easier to the point both Governments and ordinary people were living more and more 'on tick' is what has caused the present mess.
So yes, I do get concerned when I see those who have, or are doing very nicely out of what has been faciliated by the banks and succesive Governments, bemoan those not so fortunate finding themselevs less well off through no fault of their own. They are the ones taking the biggest hit on their incomes. Probably like most on here that post, I suspect, in order to keep a reasonable standard of living going rather than having a very very comfortable standard of living that is enjoyed by those who can usually dictate or control their own income and have access to good accountants.
But then I come back into reality and know that nothing is 'fair' in this world and whatever I think or say ain't going to change anything, but at least I got it off my chest