Mayoral hopeful Dan Norris has slammed Chancellor Rishi Sunak for plans to hit every key worker earning over £18,000 with a real-terms pay cut next year – the teachers, police officers and Armed Forces personnel on the front line of the battle against Covid-19.
At the Spending Review on 25 November, the Chancellor announced a ‘pay freeze’ for all public sector workers earning above £24,000 in 2021-22. NHS workers weren’t included, while those earning less than £24,000 were promised “a fixed increase of £250”. Taking into account inflation over the next fiscal year, that means every non-NHS public sector worker earning over £18,000 will actually get a real-terms pay cut.
Locally this includes
• 550 police officers in Bath and NE Somerset
• 9,400 Bristol teachers
• 750 members of the Armed Forces in South Gloucestershire
Dan Norris hit out at the plans saying “Front line workers have gone above and beyond this year and it is not right that they should pay the price for this Government’s mistakes.
“Many families will now be worried about making ends meet and will reduce spending in our local high streets and small businesses, damaging consumer confidence at the very moment the Government should be building it up.”