Pay rises without cash mean more cuts to schools and the police
How convenient on the day when the #RussiaReport was due to be released ...
Suddenly there is an announcement about pay rises for some public sector workers, almost as if deflection of the real story is in progress.
But the pay offer doesn't cover all sectors, neither nursing nor social care are included in this offer.
The offer has received a mixed response, A much lower pay rise for experienced teachers compared with new starters feels like a "kick in the teeth," a teaching union said today.
The comments were made as it was revealed that chancellor Rishi Sunak's 3.1 per cent teacher pay rise for September will result in a 5.5 per cent increase in the starting salary for the profession but just 2.75 per cent for the bulk of experienced teachers.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "We do not think it is fair or reasonable that the pay award is much lower for experienced teachers and leaders after years of pay austerity which has seen the real value of salaries deteriorate. This won't help to keep long-serving teachers in the profession and feels like a kick in the teeth."
In reality pay rises without cash mean more cuts to schools and the police said Acting Leader Ed Davey responding to reports that nearly 900,000 public sector workers will receive a pay rise out of existing departmental budgets.
"Accepting the independent review body's pay recommendations was the very least the Chancellor could do. Yet, as overall budgets remain unchanged, the reality is our schools, police and wider public services will struggle to meet this award without significant cuts elsewhere in their budgets, including redundancies.
"And utterly failing to recognise the outstanding effort of Wiltshire social care staff during the COVID-19 crisis is simply not acceptable. Councils and the wider care sector must be properly funded.
"Since the early days of this pandemic, Liberal Democrats have been the first to argue for a better deal for NHS and care staff, yet Ministers seem to think that warm words and hand claps are sufficient. Boris Johnson should be ashamed for neglecting NHS and care staff again."