Thousands of public sector workers, including doctors and teachers, will find out today what pay rise they will be offered.
It comes as they battle staff shortages following the coronavirus pandemic and the cost of living has soared. There has been speculation that the offers will be around 5%, which unions point out is less than half the current level of RPI inflation.
If the pay rises are granted, the government has claimed the health service will need to make more than £1bn of cuts and it could still trigger a wave of strikes. Health unions have threatened to ballot their members about possible industrial action if this year’s settlement is below inflation.
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NHS workers have been waiting months for a pay rise, which was due in April. Today, it will be announced how much the public sector workers will receive in 2022-23.
Unison's head of health Sara Gorton said: "With inflation expected to go even higher this week, reports of a 5% wage rise won't go down well with struggling NHS staff. The public understands an above-inflation pay increase is needed or fed-up health workers won't hang around.
"If the staffing exodus continues, waits for ambulances, operations and other treatments won't reduce. The government says it's committed to the NHS, but a pay increase falling far short of prices won't take the heat out of the staffing crisis. Ministers must avoid stumbling into an unnecessary dispute by giving a fair pay rise that protects patients and the NHS too."
What public sector workers are set to get a pay rise?
A list of public sector professions that will see their pay awards announced on Tuesday includes:
- Teachers
- Health workers on the Agenda for Change contract (including nurses)
- Doctors and dentists
- Police officers
- The armed forces
- Prison officers
- NHS very senior managers
- The judiciary
- Senior civil servants
- Senior military, and police and crime commissioners
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