Review into pay of AMs’ workers

A REVIEW is under way to see whether people working for AMs are paid fairly amid allegations that they earn significantly less than staff working for the National Assembly itself.

Scott Tuppen, a researcher working for the Ukip group, has called a meeting this Wednesday to discuss such concerns and says he has had a “very positive” response from staff supporting AMs from all parties.

Mr Tuppen argues that Assembly Commission staff earn more generous salaries and benefit from the generous Civil Service final salary pension scheme, while the pension scheme for AM support staff offers no guaranteed pension at all.

The £18,619 starting salaries for Band Three (the lowest level) of AM staff is roughly similar to the starting salaries paid for the lowest levels of staff, called “team support”, in the Assembly Commission.

The pay bands for AM staff continue rising up to a top salary of £38,762 for a senior advisor with several years experience – equivalent to the Assembly Commission’s “Management Band 1”.

However Mr Tuppen argues that while the lowest level of political staff do research, there are staff doing research for the Assembly Commission who earn management salaries of up to £38,690.

A spokesman for the independent Remuneration Board said: “The board is currently conducting a review of staffing support for Members. One element of the review is the suitability of the terms and conditions of support staff, including pay.”