Alexander approves 1% pay rise for public servants

13 Mar 15

Nearly a million public sector workers are to receive average pay increases of 1% in 2015/16, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has confirmed.

Following recommendations from five pay review bodies published yesterday, the average increase will apply to senior civil servants, GPs and dentists, prison service staff, armed forces personnel and the judiciary.

The average deal for teachers in England and Wales will also be 1%, but top performers could get an increase of up to 2%, in a move criticised by unions because it will not be accompanied by an increase in school funding.

Setting out the decision to keep funding within the 1% cap set by government as part of its deficit reduction programme, Alexander said public service workers ‘do a wonderful job serving the people of this country’.

He added: ‘Pay restraint has been very difficult for many, but has helped us to protect vital public service jobs while we deal with Britain’s deep financial problems.

‘The independent pay review bodies have worked hard to bring forward a balanced and affordable set of recommendations that delivers on our commitments to increase pay by around 1% and deals with particular pressures. The government is grateful for their work and I am pleased that we are able to accept their main recommendations.’

Responding to the announcement from Alexander, civil service union the FDA said pay constraint was putting the capability of Whitehall at risk.

General secretary Dave Penman said 1% average rise for senior civil servants meant the next government would have to address the consequences ‘of a further year of a flawed system that puts at risk the capability of the civil service to deliver’.

He added: ‘While the civil service seeks to recruit and retain talented and ambitious individuals, the government imposes a pay policy that succeeds only to undermine that objective.

‘The senior civil service have seen cuts to their real pay and reward package of around a quarter over the last parliament and government’s own evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body recognises that pay is an increasing problem in the morale and motivation of senior civil servants.’

Today’s announcement does not include a deal for NHS staff following the recent agreement of a two-year pay increase to end a dispute that had led to industrial action in the health service. This will give more than one million NHS staff will receive a 1% consolidated pay rise from April.

The government has also accepted the recommendation that there is no pay increase in 2015/16 for Police and Crime Commissioners.

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