Row over IT wage 'disparity'

There is a big difference between wages in Belfast and Dublin

IT workers in Belfast are amongst the lowest paid in the world, a survey has said.

Salaries in Belfast are the lowest for the sector amongst cities in the UK, Europe, the US and Canada, according to Invest NI.

Only IT workers in Bangalore in India, Budapest and Prague have lower salaries, said the wage survey.

The wage survey showed the most significant gap between Belfast and Dublin amongst junior programmers.

On average, a Belfast worker earns 26,005 euro while his Dublin counterpart gets 44,014 euro.

Trevor Killen of Invest NI said it was good news for Northern Ireland.

"This is positive news for inward investment into Northern Ireland," he said, adding that it was "further evidence" that companies should consider Northern Ireland as their location of choice.

Wages differences Junior programme in Belfast earns 26,005 euro, but gets 44,014 in Dublin Senior programmer in Belfast earns 51,517 euro, but gets 66,515 in Dublin A head of IT in Belfast earns 91,251 euro, but gets 107,253 in Dublin

Mr Killen said that despite significantly lower employment costs, companies investing in the north, would experience the "benefits of a highly skilled workforce with no shortage of skilled staff available, a world class infrastructure and easy access to Dublin, GB and other key markets".

But Lynne Carville of the Organisation for the Unemployed said the figures were "certainly an issue for concern".

"If you go onto the Invest NI website you will see property, telecoms and salary costs are all significantly lower in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK and Europe.

"So it would appear that Invest NI are selling Northern Ireland as a low wage economy."

She said it should be about "creating jobs that are sustainable but well paid".

The survey reveals that a senior programmer in Dublin can expect to earn an average 66,515 euro while in Belfast the salary is 51,517 euro.

Among more senior positions surveyed, the difference, while less dramatic, is still significant.

Investment

A head of IT in Dublin earns 18% more - 107,253 euro - than those in Belfast who earn 91,251 euro.

Both trail behind London where the salary for a similar post would be 112,630 euro.

Only when it comes to annual bonus payments does Belfast come out on top, with the head of an IT operation getting 11,902 euro, while in Dublin it is 6,371 euro.

Former Northern Ireland economy minister Sir Reg Empey said there was "no long-term future in trying to market Northern Ireland as a low wage economy".

He said the province could never compete with major low wage economies like India and China.

Sir Reg said he had not been aware of a change in policy at Invest NI.

"There is very little foreign investment around these days, and I suppose they are doing all they can to attract some in, so I can understand them trying to make the marketing an advantage. But I don't believe it's part of a long-term strategy.

"The only major asset is our people, and it is the skills and the innovations those people bring to the table that would make us different from other parts of the world."