MIND THE GAP

SNP lift cap on public sector pay and give 3% rise to low-paid workers but unions warn move doesn’t go far enough to tackle the difference between rich & poor

UNIONS last night warned Derek Mackay the issue of public sector pay “will not disappear” after he finally lifted the cap on wage rises.

The Finance Secretary promised increases for teachers, nurses, police officers and firefighters as part of his Draft Budget plans yesterday.

Mackay announced a minimum pay rise of three per cent for those earning £30,000 or less and two per cent for those earning more.

Public sector workers on a salary of £80,000 a year or more will have the rise capped at £1600.

Mackay said: “This demonstrates our commitment to closing the gap between the lowest and highest paid.”

The Scottish Government have previously largely stuck to a UK-wide one per cent limit on pay rises, which was introduced in 2013 after a two-year freeze.

During this year’s general election campaign, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was confronted over the pay cap during a televised debate.

Nurse Claire Austin told the SNP leader that she had been forced to use a food bank. Trade unions last night insisted every public sector worker should be given a real-terms pay rise.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress said the Budget “falls short of the commitment to our public workers and services that Scotland deserves”.

They added: “The SNP made several ambitious manifesto commitments and say they want to do right by public workers. Now was the time to be bold.

“Scottish workers have made their demands clear, and dialogue between the STUC and Derek Mackay has emphasised the urgency of a real-terms pay rise for all public workers.

“He can expect to see a sustained campaign from public workers to begin a real process of restoring their livelihood. The issue of public sector pay will not disappear.”

Dave Watson, Unison’s Scottish organiser, added: “A real terms increase for workers below £30,000 is a move in the right direction, but for many others a two per cent increase is another realterms cut in pay.

“However, an unfunded pay policy is of no value for council workers.”

Educational Institute of Scotland general secretary Larry Flanagan welcomed the pay announcement.

He said: “For far too long, teachers and other public-sector workers have been financially punished for an economic situation that was not of their making.

“The lifting of the pay cap is a long-overdue recognition that public sector workers deserve to be paid fairly for the vital work that they do.”

Scottish Labour’s finance spokesman James Kelly said: “Derek Mackay seems to expect councils to deliver a real-terms pay rise when he is slashing their budgets.

“This is just smoke and mirrors from the SNP.”

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie claimed the lifting of the cap was unfunded.

He added: “For local authorities this will impose additional costs and inevitably service cuts at the same time as the SNP Government have cut local authority budgets.”

John Downie, director of public affairs for the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, said the Budget “fails to recognise the many third sector workers delivering public services who are not even being paid the living wage”.