Unions angry as pay cap is finally ditched
Increases for police and prison staff ‘are divisive’
A GOVERNMENT decision to bring an end to the seven-year cap on public-sector pay has met with widespread criticism from unions, as they warn the “divisive” policy has already done “huge damage” to the region’s economy.
Ministers yesterday announced the cap will be lifted for prison and policing staff for the 2017/18 year, with Downing Street hinting this could pave the way for increases across the publicsector workforce.
The move follows months of lobbying by MPs and unions, who warn that the long-running squeeze on incomes has undermined employee morale and fuelled a crisis in recruitment.
But union chiefs have been unanimous in their criticism of the new offer, which will be funded by cuts to other areas of Government spending.
TUC head Frances O’Grady labelled the increase of 1.7 per cent for prison officers and 2 per cent for policing staff “pathetic”. “If Ministers think a derisory rise like this will deal with the staffing crisis in our public services, they are sorely mistaken,” she said.
Rehana Azam, of the GMB, argued the proposals were “divisive”. She added: “[It’s] wrong to make an announcement that excludes the vital support staff in the police and prison services who are subject to the same pressures as their colleagues.”
Nick Smart, chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation, said his members were “seething” about the deal. “It will mean job losses and freezes on recruitment to fund it,” he said.
While John Cafferty, Yorkshire and Humber regional secretary for Unison, said the “selective” lifting of the cap for some was “unacceptable”. “This policy has not only damaged essential services, and the lives of people who provide them, it has done huge damage to the economy in Yorkshire and Humberside,” he told The Yorkshire Post.
The Government announce- ment coincided with the latest inflation figures, with rates now at 2.9 per cent. Politicians from across the political divide have pointed to the steady rise in living costs and the ongoing squeeze on public spending as one of the key factors in June’s election result.
It also came amid threats of large-scale industrial action, with Unite boss Len McCluskey stating he would be willing to disregard legal requirements around balloting to protest the cap. But Downing Street stressed that the decision was made by Cabinet in response to the recommendations of independent pay review bodies.
Both Number 10 and Treasury minister Liz Truss also indicated yesterday that the cap could be lifted in other areas of the public sector “on a workforce-by-workforce basis”.
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Truss said: “We are making sure that our policy is targeted to where there are specific issues, where we need to make sure we recruit more talent into the public sector, but also where we do need to make sure that we are holding on to those really valued people.”
THE GOVERNMENT’S decision to abolish the public sector pay cap is politically prudent – even Theresa May could not justify the policy of restraint when put on the spot by a nurse in York during the election.
Yet, while Jeremy Corbyn and the trade unions would write a blank cheque without hesitation, Ministers need to wait until the Budget when the state of public finances will reveal the wriggle room at Chancellor Philip Hammond’s disposal.
Though cynics will say this announcement was made to lessen the likelihood of crippling strikes across the pay sector, the country still needs to spend within its means and show a level of realism that, neverthelesss, will still frustrate Mr Corbyn and his left-wing cohorts.
After all, the cost of living is not just an issue for public workers – those employed in the private sector have also seen their incomes squeezed since the collapse of Northern Rock exactly a decade ago – and this should not be forgotten.
That said, most taxpayers would argue that teachers, nurses and other key workers are worth every penny – and more.