Soldiers and nurses given ‘derisory’ 1% pay rise

SOLDIERS and nurses were handed a ‘derisory’ 1 per cent pay increase yesterday – less than the rise for MPs.

Troops were given the award – about £300 a year for a Corporal and £360 for a Sergeant – after growing ‘increasingly frustrated’ with their pay policy.

The Armed Forces’ pay review body warned of a ‘perfect storm’ hitting soldiers, reporting that morale is suffering.

At the same time, it was announced workers ranging from doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives to cleaners and porters are to receive barely £5 a week extra.

The Government said it had accepted recommendations from pay review bodies for increases in the coming year.

The rate of inflation rose to 2.3 per cent last month, the highest rate for more than three years. Earlier in the year it emerged MPs will be handed a 1.4 per cent rise.

The salary for politicians is set to go up by more than £1,000 from April next year to £76,011. It means their pay will have risen nearly £10,000 in under two years.

Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith said it was clear personnel felt ‘overlooked’ in favour of cost-cutting. She said:

‘Real pressure on service personnel’

‘According to the report’s authors, rent rises and changes to tax and benefits have created a “perfect storm” that is putting real pressure on service personnel.’

The report by the pay review body approving the 1 per cent rise said: ‘Service personnel are becoming increasingly frustrated with the public-sector pay policy.’

It added: ‘If the private sector continues to recover and if inflation continues its upward trajectory, we could foresee recruitment becoming more challenging and morale being adversely impacted.’

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron accused the Government of treating nurses, soldiers, midwives and NHS workers ‘like dirt’.

Christina McAnea, of Unison, said: ‘It’s a derisory amount in the face of soaring fuel bills and increasing transport costs.’

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the pay rises for soldiers, health workers and MPs had all been set by ‘independent review bodies’.

An MoD spokesman said: ‘ This pay increase was recommended by an independent body and we remain unwavering in our commitment to our people.’