Interesting story from
L'Espresso, by way of The Grauniad here;
Quote:
Barbers' bills blow for taxpayers
John Hooper in Rome
Monday August 20, 2007
The Guardian
To go about the business of making law, MPs need clerks and stenographers, telephonists and secretaries. But, if the politicians are Italian, they also require barbers.
It has long been known that Italy's long-suffering taxpayers meet the cost of trimming their parliamentarians' locks. But it has still come as a bit of a shock to them to discover just how much they fork out.
According to an investigation by the weekly L'Espresso, an Italian parliamentary hairdresser at the height of his career earns €133,000 (£90,000) - more than the pay of an appeal court judge.
The Rome parliament employs almost 3,000 people and their pay and pensions last year cost the treasury €568m, roughly the cost of eight new 500-bed hospitals.
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Reading the Espresso article, what seems so strange is that whilst the starting salaries (around €30,000 for a barber) seem only somewhat on the high side, they grow exponentially over 35 years to reach these giddy heights. The article also goes on to talk about how employees can retire on almost a full pension at the age of 53.
23-08-07, 10:43 AM
Hair-raising cost of a hair-cut
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