Pay freeze is a kick in the teeth

I work in the public sector for a council and quite frankly I don’t think we would have expected any different from the Tories. Public sector workers paid for the banking crisis and we were always going to pay for the response to Covid-19. It stinks and is a kick in the teeth.

Myself and my colleagues have worked flat out this year putting in longer hours, spending our own money to kit out our houses as offices without reimbursement whereas my friends in the private sector who’ve worked from home have been provided with furniture and items to aid them.

Public sector workers are dedicated to getting the job done, even if it means funding it themselves. So while I am not surprised by the news of the pay freeze I am totally insulted – but the public at large won’t care. Perhaps when the country goes back to normal public sector workers can have six months off with 80% pay?

Name and address supplied

With the Government planning a pay freeze for the majority of public sector workers, I hope they themselves will be included in this decision. Surely, they wouldn’t dare take the £3,000-plus per annum pay rise recommended by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority?

For years public service staff have had ad what amount to pay cuts uts in real terms and now are being forced to suffer r more of the same. Let’s see if the MPs do the right thing for a change and forego their rise. Ian Hulme, Manchester ter If Chancellor Rishi Sunak really wants to balance the books and save some cash he could start by cancelling HS2. That would put back around £90billion.

Oh, and shelve the imminent MPs’ pay increase and stop handing out contracts to their wealthy friends and Tory donors who are happy to pocket taxpayers millions for equipment and services in which they have zero knowledge or experience of supplying. World-beating test and trace? Top quality PPE? It would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. John Irving, Leeds

On Wednesday, the richest man in the Cabinet announced a pay freeze for millions of underpaid, hard-working people who have kept our country running during the Covid lockdowns to get the economy back on track.

Why is it that these essential workers are considered to be able to solve all our problems, but the Chancellor and thousands of others with as much wealth are not made to pay more? And we w all accept the line “this is the only way”. Why?

Derek Metson, Bristol

Rishi Sunak isn’t fit to be let anywhere near my grandchildren’s piggy bank let alone the nation’s finances. This Government has spent £280bn on fighting Covid, with a significant portion going to their Tory donor friends. Now the debt is to be repaid by the hardpressed taxpayers of this country.

The funds should never have been handed out without proper checks. It is obscene that they can throw this amount of money around without any accountability and then expect ordinary people to pay it back from their shrinking wages.

Tony Howard, Gtr Manchester

It’s a bit rich that the Tories are to freeze pay for our public sector workers, especially our teachers, care workers and police officers, when they have stood up when needed. This comes after the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority recommended a pay rise of 4.1% for MPs and the Government’s exorbitant waste of taxpayers’ money on failed outsourcing and consultants. Brian Scully, Wigan