Union begins battle with Tory Government to end decade long pay freeze which has seen vital workers £1,000s out of pocket.
GMB has launched a new campaign demanding an end to the public sector pay squeeze (Please sign our petition below).
The Government originally pledged public sector wages would only be frozen for one year – seven years on and our vital public servants are still being chronically underpaid.
Pay in the private sector have rocketed five times faster than in the NHS since 2010 – now our cherished health service faces recruitment shortfalls, with up to 10% of nursing places unfilled.
Even the Government admits that the pay freeze poses “risks to the NHS …including recruitment and retention, agency costs and staff morale.”
At the same time, prices are set to go up more by more than double the Government’s planned annual 1% pay increases, reducing the value of public sector workers wages by £3,300 each by 2020.
And now uncertainties surrounding Brexit are pushing up inflation even further – which is set to cost the average public sector worker a £1,000 in real terms by 2020.
The Government’s flawed austerity project has already snatched £8 billion out of the economy in lost earnings [4], holding back growth and unfairly penalising those areas of the country with higher rates of public sector employment.
GMB says enough is enough.
Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said:
"The shocking treatment of public sector workers is a typical example of this Government’s upside down approach to the things that matter.
“How does it reward the public servants who look after us, teach our children, that we all depend on all of the time? With a decade of pay cuts.
“It’s no wonder recruitment is down and moral is at an all-time low.
“It’s time to do something about it – sign our petition and let’s get the message to Theresa May that we value, support and cherish our public sector workers."
Join the GMB Today, Click Here to Join
Link to our Petition for Public Sector Pay - https://gmbunion.typeform.com/to/HPnR6L
