Rishi sunak has announced that NHS doctors and nurses will get a pay rise although pay rises for the rest of the public sector will be ‘paused’ next year.
Rishi sunak has announced that NHS doctors and nurses will receive a pay rise even though pay rises for most of the rest of the public sector will be ‘paused’ next year.
Rishi Sunak announces pay rise
2.1 million public sector workers who earn below the median wage of £24,000 will be guaranteed a pay rise of a minimum of £250 next year, Rishi Sunak said.
Rishi Sunak called attention to the disparity between public sector and private sector wages, declaring that he “cannot justify a significant, across-the-board” pay rise for each public sector worker given the circumstances and the current economic situation that the country finds itself in with national debt standing at £2 trillion.
In the Houses of Commons, the Chancellor of the Exchequer told MPs: “Taking account of the pay review bodies’ advice, we will provide a pay rise to over a million nurses, doctors and others working in the NHS.
Second, to protect jobs, pay rises in the rest of the public sector will be paused next year. But third, we will protect those on lower incomes. The 2.1 million public sector workers who earn below the median wage of £24,000, will be guaranteed a pay rise of at least £250.”
The Chancellor said the “majority” of public sector workers will see their pay increase next year.
Labour MP and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Anneliese Dodds, spoke in the House of Commons responding to the statement saying: “Earlier this year the Chancellor stood on his doorstep and clapped for key workers. Today his Government institutes a pay freeze for many of them. This takes a sledgehammer to consumer confidence.” Among those whose pay has been frozen are firefighters, teachers, the armed forces, police, civil servants, council and Government agency staff.
National officer of the GMB union, Rehana Azam, said: “The Chancellor’s public sector pay freeze will hit key workers who have risked everything during the pandemic. This attempt to divide and rule will put him on a direct collision course with public service workers, and he should know that we fought the public sector pay cap before and we busted it. GMB will not accept more pay cuts for our members at a time when the whole country is relying on them. The Government should tax those who have profited from the pandemic – get them to stump up the cash that has lined their pockets, whilst our keyworkers have kept the UK going.”
