Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she would not 'get ahead of' the recommendations of reviewing bodies, which will consider the Government's suggestions before offering departments advice on levels of remuneration
10:58, 11 Dec 2024
A Cabinet minister has responded to discontent over the Government's proposal for a 2.8% pay rise for millions of public sector workers, stating it's merely the beginning of negotiations.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, speaking on BBC Breakfast, emphasised that she wouldn't "get ahead of" the independent bodies set to review the Government’s suggestions before advising on appropriate pay levels. Unions representing teachers, doctors, and nurses have slammed the proposed pay increase for the next year as insufficient, pointing out that it's only 0.2% above the projected inflation rate.
She urged unions to acknowledge the Government's challenging fiscal legacy, stressing the need for balanced books and sustainable pay. She said: "So what I would say to trade unions and everybody else... this is the start of that process, and of course, I would hope that they recognise that the Government’s fiscal inheritance has been extremely difficult, and we do have to make sure that the books overall balance as well, and that pay is on a sustainable footing.
"This is the start of that process, and I wouldn’t want to get ahead of where we think the pay review bodies might ultimately make their recommendations."
The Department of Health and Social Care, the Cabinet Office, and the Department for Education have all suggested 2.8% pay rises for staff in 2025-26. This comes in the wake of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' directive for each Government department to reduce expenses by 5%, as part of a comprehensive multi-year spending review set for release in 2025.
Unions have expressed outrage at the pay recommendations, hinting that more industrial action could be on the cards if talks don't take place. The Royal College of Nursing’s top boss insisted on "open, direct talks now" to prevent "further escalation to disputes and ballots".
Meanwhile, the British Medical Association criticised the Government for its "poor grasp" on issues from two years of strikes, and the head of the National Education Union warned the Government, stating that the proposed raise "won’t do".
With inflation expected to average 2.5% this year and 2.6% next year, according to Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts, Unison decried the proposed 2.8% rise as "barely above the cost of living", and Unite highlighted that a resolution to the NHS staffing crisis "will not be solved without taking the issue of restorative pay seriously". Independent bodies will review these proposals among other evidence, before advising departments on pay levels.