Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WHAT WE’RE ALL SAYING FIONA PARKER NHS pay snub is a Tory disgrace THE ISSUE
Unions have blasted Theresa May’s public sector pay rises as “pathetic” after the PM finally caved in to growing pressure and scrapped the 1% cap – but only for police and prison officers. The rises are below the rate of inflation and the PM made no menti
The Tories’ latest disgraceful act against public service workers’ pay shows it’s time for a change. Offering police and prison officers a paltry rise and denying a rise for nurses and firefighters is truly deplorable. It’s time for everyone’s pay and pensions to be once again linked to the retail price index, ousting belowinflation rises.
It’s time to wake up and realise there is no room for the Tories’ 18th century values in the 21st century.
Gordon Legg, Southampton
This pay rise is nothing more than the Tory government’s ploy to divide and rule public sector unions. Do they think this pathetic pay rise is going to work? They have given nothing to our hard-working NHS staff and have told them to wait until next year.
They should all join together and show this government that they will not be bought off with this pathetic pay rise which means nothing when inflation is well over 2%.
Michael Streets, Chesterfield
MPS get a big pay rise, so if it’s good enough for them, then it’s good enough for the rest who do a far more important job in keeping this country running.
It’s time the bungling Tories were kicked out of office.
Fred Stones, Barnsley
The lifting of the pay cap is a typical Tory ploy to divide and conquer.
Giving a pay rise to the police and not the rest of the public sector is outrageous and a recipe for public outrage.
Arthur Poole, Macclesfield
I work in the NHS and there is a big problem with managers frequently employing private IT contractors on high wages to do the jobs that permanent staff should do but can’t. The senior managers also earn a lot of money. I believe it is only the lower-paid staff up to pay Band 5 that should get a pay review.
Debra, via e-mail
The government has at last decided to lift the 1% pay cap after years of austerity. However, the increases are still too modest and below the rate of inflation.
Why is it that we’re still having to pay for the decisions and mistakes made by merchant bankers who rake in large bonuses from public owned banks? And why haven’t MPS applied the pay cap to themselves in recent years?
Diane Silva, via e-mail
However much Theresa May protests that she is “listening”, I can only see the lifting of the public sector pay cap for police and prison officers for what it is – a typically cynical Tory attempt to divide and conquer.
ALL workers in the public sector deserve a pay rise.
How wonderful it would be if the police and prison officers showed this government what it could do with its measly 1-1.7% until the pay cap is lifted completely.
Ann Barraclough, Anglesey
So, nurses haven’t got a rise at all. There’s no fairness here, it’s just going to breed contempt. The police have been rewarded for “difficult work” this year. Does that mean that none of the other public services have stepped up too, then?
This government makes it up as they go along and you can now expect strikes.
Sara Mason, via Facebook
May I take the time to praise the doctors and nurses at Kingston Hospital for their care they gave to my mother during her recent stay there. Nothing was too much trouble to them.
Mr Hunt will never break their spirit.
Nicholas James, Putney West London
Pub quiz answers
My Christmas shopping is already done and our dinner is booked in a local Indian restaurant. So I’m looking forward to enjoying the festive period and not stressing.
Lynsey Williams Newport, South Wales