Construction workers payslips 'reflect national average'

05/12/2007

Construction trades workers' salaries are currently in line with the UK average wage, a new survey has shown.

Analysis from Britain's union GMB of pay by occupation for April 2007 revealed that construction workers earn between £21,212 and £29,215 with the UK national average wage for full time employees standing at £29,999.

Scaffolders, stagers and riggers earned the most in the sector breakdown with 97 per cent of the average wage, followed by steel erectors on £26,205, plumbers on £25,885, while bricklayers, welders and carpenters and joiners all earned over £23,000.

Plasterers and roof tilers earned the least in the construction occupation category taking home 73 and 71 per cent of the national average wage respectively.

Meanwhile topping the salary list, chief executives and directors of major companies earned seven times more than the average UK wage.

Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, commented: "There are some people at the top earning forty and fifty times those at the bottom.

"We are asked to believe that those at the top need to be 'incentivised' by multi-million pay packages to maintain a dynamic economy, while at the same time those at the bottom in the public sector must make sacrifices for the good of the economy."

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