what's good enough for MPs is good enough for other public sector workers says GMB

GMB, trade union for public service workers, responded to reports that The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) is recommending a £10,000 or 15% increase in MPs salaries. See notes to editors for report on Sky news website.

 

Brian Strutton, GMB National Secretary for Public Service, said “The report says that the independent pay setting body for MPs (IPSA) is recommending a £10,000 or 15% pay rise. In part this is to offset pension changes. Although it is highly unlikely that this recommendation will be acted on it nevertheless shows that there is a case to be made for public servants whose pay has been capped to pay for an austerity program that they didn't cause or benefit from. Whether it is MPs or care workers or school dinner ladies or nurses or social workers, the fact is that the same pressures highlighted in this MPs report apply widely throughout the public sector.

 

It is only because government pay policy has imposed pay ceilings on the public sector and placed restrictions on the equivalent bodies to IPSA that set pay for ordinary public sector workers that this hasn't been made clear before. MPs may well have a case to argue for higher pay and denying it to them will not help the low paid public sector workers who are genuinely suffering and relying on welfare benefits and pay day loans. The ordinary front line public service workers have as good if not a better case and its time this case got a fair hearing. What's good enough for MPs is good enough for other public sector workers."