Spring statement a missed opportunity

Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy has said that the Chancellor’s spring statement was a missed opportunity to take action on public sector pay and on tackling the productivity crisis.

Responding to the spring statement, Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy said:

“Today’s spring statement was a missed opportunity to take bold action to make our economy stronger, fairer, and more productive.

“The Chancellor should have announced a real end to the public sector pay cap and given all public servants a decent pay rise for the first time since 2010.

“And with the OECD today warning that the UK needs to do more to improve productivity, the Chancellor should have listened to Prospect and adopted a radical new approach involving business and unions to forge a new bargain aimed at improving productivity and expanding collective bargaining across the economy.

“With no respite for public servants, no strategy to address the productivity crisis and no commitment to give private sector workers real voice, this spring statement will go down as a huge missed opportunity by a government that needs to change course if they want to create an economy that truly works for everyone.”

On Monday the think tank ResPublica published a report in partnership with Prospect calling on the government to adopt a ‘new bargain’ with unions and businesses to solve the productivity crisis. The report can be read in full here: http://www.respublica.org.uk/our-work/publications/new-bargain-people-productivity-prosperity/ 

Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy wrote about the report for Conservative Home: https://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2018/03/mike-clancy-how-the-trade-unions-can-help-drive-up-productivity.html