Firefighters struggle to feed families, says TUC leader in pay cap row

FIREFIGHTERS ARE finding it hard to provide food for their families due to the public-sector pay cap, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady has claimed.

Speaking at a protest outside Parliament, Ms O’Grady said the Government had lost the argument on wages and that most voters supported a pay rise for public servants.

Ms O’Grady said: “They have had seven years of pay freezes, pay caps. Austerity isn’t clearing the deficit.

“On the contrary, the Government moved the goalposts, they say it is not going to be cleared until 2025 now. But meanwhile public servants, dedicated, and in the case of our brave firefighters are finding it hard to put food on the table for their families.”

Ms O’Grady said that reported remarks at Cabinet by Chancellor Philip Hammond that public-sector workers were overpaid proved how Ministers did not understand the situation.

“It shows that the Government is out of touch.

“We know that the Government is split on this issue.

“We seem to have multiple U-turns on whether or not that public-sector pay cap will be lifted. Public servants deserve a decent pay rise, and what’s more the public supports us.”

The TUC leader, the first woman to hold the position, added: “We know from TUC polling after the election that three quarters of the public believe that publicsector workers should get that pay rise now, including over two thirds of Conservative voters.”

Mr Hammond has refused to be drawn on whether he told colleagues public-sector workers were overpaid, but acknowledged he had made the point that they enjoyed a pension “premium” over private-sector counterparts.