Travellers hit town despite no horse fair

CIVIL servants are in line for pay rises of up to 2.5 per cent as millions face joblessness and slashed wages.

Some departments will be able to offer more than 2.5%, potentially above inflation, if they make savings.

Cabinet Office guidance published earlier this month approved increases of between 1.5 per cent and 2.5per cent for more than 400,000 Government workers.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance said the rises would anger members of the public who faced uncertain futures.

But the PCS union, which represents many public sector workers, said the rise equated to a cut in real terms as retail price index inflation recently stood at 2.6 per cent. Unions had called for a blanket pay rise, but this was refused. It means 250 departments will negotiate pay packets separately.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “It is an outrageous swindle that ministers have embarked upon by offering our members a pay cut in return for their Herculean efforts during the corona pandemic.” The Government insisted: “This guidance achieves a balance that offers fair pay for civil servants, while delivering value for money for the taxpayer.”

Surveys show as many as 40 per cent of businesses expect to lay staff off, while the number of people on Universal Credit had risen 40% due to the pandemic.

TRAVELLERS have arrived for an annual horse fair despite it being cancelled.

The event at Appleby, in Cumbria, was axed due to lockdown and members of the travelling community were told to stay away.

But residents said caravans had been arriving in the area almost every day.

The fair would have started on Thursday.

One resident, who didn’t want to be named, said: “We don’t have much open and the normal barriers are not in place which means people can pitch up along the roadsides.”

Cumbria Police said fines were being issued and people were being told not to stay overnight.