TUC: Ice beginning to crack on public sector pay

11 Sep 2017 11:31 AM

Following reports by the BBC yesterday (Sunday) that the government will lift its public sector pay cap to offer a pay rise to prison and police officers, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“The ice is beginning to crack. The government have clearly lost the argument on public sector pay.

“Police and prison officers are long overdue a pay rise, but so too are the nurses, firefighters and all public servants working across the country.

“This is not a popularity contest. Ministers must not cherry-pick some workers for a pay rise, while leaving others in the cold. Public sector workers’ pay has fallen for seven long years. They have all earned a pay rise.

“We need to hear more about how this will be funded. The costs for this pay rise must not fall upon our already-stretched public services.”

Notes to editors:

TUC research earlier this year showed how much public sector wages would be down in real terms if the pay cap continued until 2020.

Occupation	Pay in 2015/16	Pay in 2020/21 at RPI in 2016 prices	Real pay cut in 2016 prices
Social worker	£37,858	£34,325	-£3,533
Midwife	£35,255	£31,937	-£3,288
Teacher	£32,831	£29,767	-£3,064
Fire fighter	£29,638	£26,827	-£2,766
Nurse	£28,462	£25,806	-£2,656
UK Border Agency officer	£27,000	£24,480	-£2,520
Jobcentre Plus supervisor	£24,727	£22,419	-£2,308
Ambulance driver	£19,655	£17,821	-£1,834

More info: www.tuc.org.uk/news/nurses-teachers-and-firefighters-facing-falls-thousands-real-pay-end-decade

BBC story on the pay cap being lifted: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41218283