MEPs face embarrassment over assistants’ low salaries

Date: 18/04/02

By Martin Banks

A SURVEY of MEPs' assistants reveals that some are being paid only €800 a month.

The assistants' association, which carried out the survey, says it highlights the need to improve their rights.

More than 400 assistants responded to the questionnaire, which asked them for details of their salary, tax and social security.

The results show that the average pay for an assistant is €1,500 per month with few having health or social security cover.

The European Parliamentary Assistants' Association (EPAA) said the survey also revealed wide differences in pay, with some staff receiving only €800 per month while others earn as much as €4,000.

The findings will come as an embarrassment to MEPs after they voted last week to pay themselves €8,500 a month - €102,000 a year. The draft pay and conditions statute, still to be approved by member states, means members would also pay just 17 tax to the European Community. Guillaume McLaughlin, EPAA vice-president, said: 'Our survey reinforces the need to establish a proper statute for MEPs' staff which ensures that there are no longer such gigantic discrepancies in pay and that assistants receive a fair wage.

'The present system doesn't allow for promotion, any increases in pay or stability of employment and this has got to end.'

The assistants have accused deputies of being too caught up in their own statute saga to consider the problems of their staff.

'MEPs have now voted in favour of giving themselves a nice salary rise and it would be hypocritical if they now failed to turn their attentions to their own staff,' said McLaughlin, who works as an assistant for British Liberal Andrew Duff.

Assistants are hired on a personal basis by members, who are each given nearly €12,000 a month by the Parliament to cover staff costs.

But the chaotic situation in which assistants operate is illustrated by the fact that no one knows exactly how many are employed in Brussels, although the figure is thought to be about 1,400.