Despite what Hammond says, public sector workers are worse off since 2010 – TUC find

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Public sector workers are worse off since 2010, the TUC has said.

The TUC has released new analysis showing real wages have been slashed by thousands of pounds thanks to rising inflation and the public sector pay cap.

The trade union body said prison officers and paramedics were more than £3,800 a year poorer since 2010. Their figures show the average pay for an NHS paramedic is £35,577 but that if this salary had kept in line with inflation they would be earning £3,888 more a year. The TUC said if RPI is used – the inflation measure that includes the cost of housing – paramedics would earn £6,140 more a year.

This comes after claims that Philip Hammond said public sector workers were overpaid. Hammond refused to comment on these reports but on the Andrew Marr show he said public sector pay had “raced ahead” of private sector rates since 2008 – he claimed they had 10% “premium” over people in the private sector.

But evidence shows public sector wages have stagnated as it has essentially been capped at 1% each year since 2013.

“It’s been seven long years of pay cuts for our public servants. And ministers still won’t tell us if relief is on the way,” said TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady told the BBC.

The TUC has given a breakdown of the way inflation and the pay cap has impacted different public sector professions. This following list shows how much more workers would need to earn each year to stay in line with their 2010 earning power:

  • Crown prosecutor £4,400
  • NHS specialist dietician £3,858
  • Prison officer £3,819
  • Firefighter £2,888
  • Nuclear maintenance engineer £2,591
  • Teacher £2,414
  • Lifeguards’ £2,200
  • NHS ancillary staff £897

Amidst this, Public sector workers are coming together today in Westminster to demand better pay

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2 Responses to “Despite what Hammond says, public sector workers are worse off since 2010 – TUC find”

  1. John

    The issue isn’t whether their salary stayed in line with inflation; clearly not.
    The issue isn’t whether their salary should be raised; clearly, it should
    The issue is the difference in pay between public and private.

    We keep moaning about how good they have it (they really don’t). Shouldn’t we be moaning about how bad we have it? Isn’t it time we started getting pay rises?

  2. patrick newman

    Since 2010 inflation (CPI, not the higher RPI) has averaged 2.7% (BoE) but pay increases have averaged well under 1% (two years of pay freeze, 1% thereafter). The case is overwhelming at least for an inflation increase (2.9%). However there is a danger of not keeping the bigger picture in mind – the potentially catastrophic under funding of public services generally. Indeed it is perfectly possible the government will allow employers to pay above the cap but to provide no new money and workers then would see some of their colleagues shown the door. The primary issue is the proper funding of public services to restore services and pay staff properly!

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