Lifting the public sector pay cap does not mean workers will definitely get a pay rise

The government has announced that in the forthcoming Budget it is going to end the public sector pay freeze.

This could mean pay rises for thousands of Prospect members but this is by no means guaranteed.

General Secretary of Prospect Mike Clancy said:

“Lifting the public sector pay cap does not mean public sector workers are definitely going to get a pay rise. They need more than catchy headlines, they need proper recognition of the work they have been putting in holding the country together during the pandemic.

“Ending the pay freeze will mean little if the Chancellor does not provide public sector organisations with the finances to actually fund real pay rises. And with CPI running at 3% and RPI at 4.9% public servants will need a substantial award just to avoid falling further behind the rising cost of living.

“Public sector pay is once again lagging significantly behind the private sector and that’s after a decade of pay austerity which has put a huge burden on family budgets. This is creating recruitment and retention problems in some areas with the public sector unable to compete with the pay offered for comparable private sector jobs.

“If the government is serious about a high wage/ high skill economy it needs to start at home and pay its employees properly instead of wasting money on expensive consultants.”