Top civil servants enjoy larger salary increases

A disparity in the rise in pay of Icelandic civil servants has been revealed, showing high-ranking officials with an average salary increase of 18 percent over two years, while common civil servants have seen a 7 to 9 per cent increase, reports IcelandReview.

The President of Iceland has enjoyed a salary increase from ISK 1,532,000 at the end of 2005 to ISK 1,807,000 in the beginning of 2008. The Icelandic Prime Minister’s salary rose from ISK 915,000 to ISK 1,078,000 over the same two-year period.

Even MPs have seen a significant increase, going from ISK 460,000 to ISK 542,000. The discrepancy between the salary increases and those of general civil servants has not been accounted for.

A special wage council called the ‘Kjararád’ was created on 1 July 2006 to decide salaries of all official employees.