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ITV News political reporter Shehab Khan reports government announces wage increases for millions of public sector workers as inflation squeezes households amid cost of living crisis
Unions are furious after hundreds of thousands of public sector workers were offered a pay rise that fails to keep pace with the appalling cost of living.
Inflation stands at just over 9% and is expected to continue to rise, but most public sector employees will receive an increase well below that rate.
The government’s offer is described as a real wage reduction, given the amount of more expensive goods and services after the Covid pandemic and in the midst of the war in Ukraine.
Establishing wage awards for 2.5 million public sector workers is one of the last political decisions left in the Boris Johnson government, before he leaves the post of prime minister in early September.
Some salary increases apply only to England and Wales and others are set by the ministers of delegated administrations.
All officers in England and Wales will receive a £ 1,900 salary increase from September 1, equivalent to a global premium of 5%, the Home Office said.
It works around £ 36 extra per week.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I am delighted to be able to fully accept the salary review body’s recommendations for all police officers to see a £ 1,900 salary increase.
“It is right that we recognize the extraordinary work of our agents who work tirelessly day after day to keep our streets, communities and country safe.”
Eligible doctors and dentists will receive a salary increase of 4.5%.
Most nurses will get an increase of around 3.7%, while the basic pay of newly qualified nurses will increase by 5.5%.
People on lower incomes, such as porters and cleaners, will have an increase of 9.3%. These workers will experience a weekly increase of about £ 27.
Wage awards mean more than a million NHS staff will get a salary increase of at least £ 1,400, the Department of Health and Welfare said.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Ministers seem determined to push the NHS forward, showing little regard for the millions of people on waiting lists for tests and treatments.
“Instead of saving the NHS with adequate investment in personnel and services, those competing to be the next prime minister want to keep the cash for pre-election tax cuts.
“The fed up staff could now decide to take matters into their own hands.
“If there is to be a dispute in the NHS, ministers will have no one to blame more than themselves.”
The government said it had fully accepted the recommendations of the independent NHS salary review bodies, adding that the pay rise recognizes the contribution of NHS staff while balancing the need to protect taxpayers, manage public spending and not increase inflation.
Experienced teachers will receive a 5% salary and new teachers starting their careers will get an additional 8.9% from September.
Those who receive an additional 5% will see another £ 40 in their average weekly pay package.
Education Secretary James Cleverly said: “Teachers are the fabric of our school system and it is their dedication and skill that ensure young people can leave school with the knowledge and opportunities they need to move on in life.
“We are offering significant salary increases for all teachers despite the current economic challenges, pushing teachers’ starting salaries towards the £ 30,000 target and giving experienced teachers the biggest salary increase of a generation.
“This will attract even more top quality talent to inspire children and young people and reward teachers for their hard work.”
Both the NASUWT and NEU teaching unions, which have threatened to strike in the autumn for pay, have said the proposed 5% increase for more experienced staff is too low.
Employees in the armed forces, which include the Army, Navy and Air Force, will get an additional 3.75% up to the 1-star rank.
Officers rated 2 stars or higher will get a 3.5.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said: “This salary award supports broader recruitment and retention and addresses the requirements of the smaller but highly skilled Armed Forces while recognizing affordability.”
All prison staff will receive at least 4% pay, said Justice Secretary Dominic Raab.
Explaining that wage increases are below inflation, Raab said: “This year’s wage awards strike a careful balance between recognizing the vital importance of public sector workers, while providing value to the taxpayer, not to further increase the country’s debt and be careful not to push for even higher prices in the future. “
Will there be more public sector strikes?
The unions had demanded that the wage supply remain in line with inflation, which is rising at the fastest pace in 40 years.
The current rate is 9.1% and the Bank of England expects it to reach 11% by the end of the year.
Unions representing teachers, nurses and doctors have already threatened to strike if wage premiums do not keep pace with inflation.
The National Education Union has said it will now consult its members on the strike action in the autumn and NASUWT previously said it would hold a national strike vote if the government does not “offer teachers’ salary restoration”.
Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU education union, said earlier that a 5% increase for more experienced staff would be “unacceptable”.
Laurence Turner, of the GMB union, said: “An offer below inflation is a cut with another name.
“Hiring and retention problems are serious now in the public sector and ministers are not investing in the services that the economic recovery needs.”
Unite Secretary General Sharon Graham added: “The government has promised rewards for the dedication of the public sector workforce during the pandemic. What they have given in return, in real terms, is a kick to the ground. the tooth.
“The so – called wage supply is a massive national wage cut.
“We expected the inevitable betrayal, but its magnitude is an affront.”
And the next election of a new prime minister, through the career of conservative leadership, is unlikely to turn off wage concerns in the public sector.
All those left in the contest, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt, have ruled out general wage increases above inflation if they become leaders.
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