The decision by the RMT union to go ahead with strike action on three days this week has proved a controversial one, with some suggesting railway workers seem to be relatively well paid when compared to the UK average. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggested as much in the Commons and has defended his government’s handling of the situation thus far.
While Shapps was correct in his assessment that the median salary for railway workers of around £44,000 is well above the UK average (£25,971), this former figure includes train and tram drivers who earn significantly more (£59,189) than many those who work in the sector. When they’re taken out of the equation, which is crucial 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 still 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. So what do other key sectors such as bus drivers, teachers and NHS staff earn in the UK?
