The public, private and 3rd sectors have always co-habited quite happily together, with the occasional tiff often over where the line between them should be drawn, if indeed it should.

If it hadn’t been for our churches, many of our schools, youth organisations and others, now taken for granted as social institutions, would not have happened.

160 or so years ago councils were incorporated and given statutory duties by Acts of Parliament. Public libraries for the illiterate and public wash baths for the unhygienic were amongst the first.

And so it went on. A glass of water still gets called corporation pop and outside places like Birmingham Council House “yard sticks” are still set in the flag stones so standards could be set and kept.

There is a recession, the worse of which we hope to be behind us. Banks (Northern) rocked. We’ve had a General Election, we’ve now got a coalition and we’ve had a Budget, with more to follow.

Whoever had won on May 6th would have to have done something, that’s for sure.

I just worry that the public sector and those employed within could become the whipping boys and girls over the next months and years!

Locally, average gross earnings across all sectors is just over £26k pa. In our local town hall most staff are on Grade D, just under £17k. The average full time salary in £23k, £3k less than the overall average.

So what about key workers like in health? I asked locally at our hospital.

Ancillary workers such as gardeners, cleaners, porters, admin workers get between about £14k and £22k.

A newly qualified nurse gets about £21k. After many years of more training, gaining experience and taking on substantial responsibilities a ward sister could get to around £40k. After 5 years at medical school a newly qualified doctor gets just shy of £24k.

Given the really important work these folk do, are they really so richly rewarded?