The public service wage bill increased by €40 million in the past two years, the equivalent increase registered during the Nationalist administration’s last year, the Labour Party said yesterday.

Reacting to national data issued, Labour said the increase in expenditure from €882 to €922 million during the year before the general election was the result of a strong increase in civil service job posts.

In a statement, the party said that there had been an increase of 660 jobs – around six a day – during the electoral campaign.

It added that a number of collective agreements were also reached on the eve of the election, leading to an increase in expenditure together with a number of promotions.

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