29.06.17
Refusal to end pay cap an ‘insult’ to public sector workers
Unison has claimed that the government’s decision to reject a Labour Party amendment to end the 1% public sector pay cap is an ‘insult’ to those working in the sector.
The amendment to the Queen’s Speech, which also called for more funding for emergency services, was defeated in the Commons with 323 MPs opposing it versus 309 in favour. This was the first parliamentary test of the Tory-DUP deal, with the result giving the government a narrow majority of 14.
Responding to the defeat, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the DUP had stood alongside their Tory paymasters cheering at the “fact that they have withheld more pay for our police, our firefighters, our nurses and our teachers. Shame on them”.
“After Theresa May’s disastrous missteps this shows nature of the government we have been left with,” he added. “This U-turn on a U-turn will stick in the throat of million of hard working public servants, many of whom recently ran towards danger, be it Manchester, Grenfell or London Bridge. These people go above and beyond and yet the government snubs them.”
It had been rumoured that No.10 had “heard the message” of the General Election and that people were weary of austerity. But later in the day, it was stated there had been no change in the government’s policy.
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “The government’s rejection of the proposals to end the pay cap is an insult to paramedics, nurses, teaching assistants, care staff and all public sector workers.
“Ministers have spent the last few months praising public sector workers. This vote was their chance to show they really mean it. But the message is clear – the government doesn’t value them enough to give them a wage rise.”
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