Public sector pay freeze backlash
‘Insult’ to millions of workers amid pandemic
BORIS Johnson faces a furious backlash against plans to freeze the pay of four million public sector workers next year.
Unions branded the plans – coming in next week’s mini-Budget from Chancellor Rishi Sunak – an “insult” that will destroy morale while Britain is still battling the coronavirus pandemic.
About 15,000 UK Government civil servants in Scotland, working across areas including job centres and HM Revenue and Customs, could be affected by the pay freeze.
Teachers, council workers, emergency services and health staff in Scotland have their pay set by the Scottish Government. The Scottish public sector pay policy is due to be published when the Scottish Government budget is set on January 28.
Sunak is expected to announce the pay freeze plan – a real-term cut once inflation is included – in Wednesday’s spending review.
Mark Serwotka, of the PCS civil service union, said: “Civil servants along with millions of other public sector workers have kept the country running throughout this pandemic and the last thing they deserve is another pay freeze.
“Our members have been providing universal credit, collecting tax, securing our borders and prisons in this unprecedented pandemic and have already suffered 10 years of pay restraint.
“Private companies have been allowed to secure lucrative Covid contracts to the tune of £17billion, yet ministers are not prepared to reward their own staff for all the incredible work they have done this year.”
NHS staff in England are said to be exempt from the review but teachers, Armed Forces staff, police and Whitehall civil servants who worked through the pandemic and have had seven years of pay freezes and caps under Tory austerity will face a cut.
Treasury sources said it would be “unfair” to let public pay rise more than the private sector.
Labour’s Anneliese Dodds said the move would be irresponsible and leave the economy stagnating.
The Shadow Chancellor added: “Workers on the Covid frontline have kept our country going through this pandemic. Thousands of them have lost their lives in the process. Now, in the middle of a deadly second wave, the Chancellor wants to freeze their pay.
“This is the irresponsible choice to make for the economy. Freezing pay will leave people worried about making ends meet. That means they’ ll cut back on spending and the economy will take longer to recover.”
Ian Blackford of the SNP said a pay freeze would be a “slap in the face” to millions of workers and warned the reports would “send alarm bells ringing” in Scotland that the Tories were about to impose another decade of cuts.
The SNP Westminster leader said: “There must be no return to Tory austerity. Instead, the Chancellor must announce a fiscal stimulus of at least £80billion to kick-start a green recovery, and a major funding increase for our NHS and public services, including a pay rise for workers who have given so much to tackle coronavirus.
“By withholding investment and blocking the devolution of f inancial powers, the UK Government has caused thousands of unnecessary job losses and hindered Scotland’s ability to respond to this crisis. The Tories must not put Scotland’s recovery at risk too.”
A report from the right-wing Centre for Policy Studies said £23billion could be saved through a three-year freeze on workers’ pay.