Government recommends 2.8% pay rise for public sector workers
The government is proposing a 2.8% pay rise next year for millions of public sector workers, including teachers, NHS staff and senior civil servants.
The union responded by saying the proposed pay rise was too low and threatening strike action.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said there was a “very real risk” of further strike action if “pay erosion” was not addressed, while Unison’s Helga Pile said the proposals were a “bitter pill”.
The recommendations will now be considered by an independent pay review body.
Inflation, which measures changes in prices over time, is expected to average 2.6% next year.
The government said departments must fund 2025-26 and future pay rises from their own budgets. It added that unlike in recent years, there would be no additional funding if the proposed pay awards exceed what the department can afford.
The government said officials must consider whether the additional costs can be met through other savings or increased productivity.
After winning power, the new Labor government accepted a series of above-inflation pay rises for public sector workers in 2024-25, ending a long strike.
The government said it inherited a “challenging” financial situation and defended the decision as “recruitment and retention conditions continue to deteriorate across the public sector”.
However, it added that this “requires difficult trade-offs”.
The BMA said the proposed pay rises for 2025/26 “demonstrate an insufficient grasp of the issues that have not been addressed during two years of strike action”.
Professor Nicola Rangel, secretary-general and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, described the pay proposal as “deeply objectionable”.
She said: “The government is telling carers today it will cost them just £2 a day more, less than the price of a cup of coffee.”
“Fair pay must be matched by structural reforms. Let us start direct negotiations now to avoid further escalation in disputes and votes.”
Helga Pile told the BBC’s Today program the proposals could see staff leave the NHS. and will dampen morale ahead of an “extremely difficult winter.”
The Department for Education said the 2.8 per cent pay rise would “keep teacher pay competitive” despite the challenging financial backdrop the government faces.
However, the National Education Union said it “fell far short of the urgent action required”.
Secretary General Daniel Kebede said: “Teaching salaries have been cut by more than a fifth in real terms since 2010, affecting teachers’ living standards and damaging the competitive position of teaching relative to other graduate professions. “
