By Steve Bargeton, political editor

FIRST MINISTER Alex Salmond was under pressure last night to cut “fat cat” salaries after it was revealed that almost 3400 people in the public sector earn more than £80,000 a year.

A dossier of top salaries obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats under freedom of information legislation shows that 1798 public sector employees are paid more than £100,000 a year and a further 1596 are getting pay cheques of between £80,000 and £100,000.

The total bill is £401 million a year.

Last night Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott challenged Mr Salmond to cut the “fat cat” pay bill by next year.

“All across vital public services people at the bottom of the income scale are being threatened with losing their jobs,” he said.

“Statistics last week show that the number of young people unemployed has never been higher.

“People will not understand why the government lets this pay chasm between richest and poorest continue.

“The first minister and his government are in charge of public sector pay.

“The first minister needs to set a target as part of his budget to reduce that pay bill and spend the money on creating skills and jobs for young people instead.

“It’s right that the people who get such a vast share of public money should shoulder a fair share of the burden in these tough times.”

The Lib Dems obtained the salary information from 155 Scottish public bodies—quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations (quangos), councils, health boards, universities and colleges—and claim it is “the most comprehensive survey that has been conducted” into top public sector pay. The Scottish Government has admitted it does not hold information of top public sector earners.

The bulk of top earners are in health and education.

NHS Fife employs 118 people earning over £100,000 and 59 earning between £80,000 and £100,000—a top earners wage bill of over £20 million a year.

NHS Tayside has not yet replied to the Lib Dem request.

At Dundee University 51 people are paid more than £100,000 and another 39 average £87,000 each—a total top earners wage bill of £10.5 million a year.

At St Andrews University 20 are in the six-figure bracket and 52 earn between £80,000 and £100,000.

At Abertay University in Dundee two employees earn over £100,000 and two between £80,000 and £100,000.

Fife Council has 11 people earning £110,000 or more and another 29 between £80,000 and £110,000.

At Dundee City Council two members of staff are on the top rate and another 10 earn more than £80,000.

At Perth and Kinross Council four earn £100,000 or more, with five earning between £80,000 and £100,000.

Angus Council has not yet replied to the freedom of information request.

Among the quangos, Audit Scotland has two staff on £100,000 or more and another six earning between £80,000 and £100,000.

The national Waiting Times Centre Board pays three people a six-figure salary and 29 others between £80,000 and £100,000.

Scottish Enterprise has seven in the top bracket and 16 earning £80,000 and £100,000, with the figure for VisitScotland being two and four.

Scottish Water pays 13 people £100,000 or more and another 13 people between £80,000 and £100,000.

Responding to the dossier on public sector pay, a Scottish Government spokesman said last night, “Responsibility for the pay of senior staff in many of the bodies listed by the Lib Dems falls to organisations other than the Scottish Government.

“Pay in local authorities is a matter for local government, and the Scottish Government has no locus in pay within universities, colleges and the main research providers, while the Scottish Parliament is responsible for pay levels for the commissioners listed.”