Public sector workers thousands of pounds worse off since 2010 - TUC
2 min read
Public sector workers have lost out on thousands of pounds because of pay restraint imposed since 2010, the TUC has said.
The trades union body estimates that firefighters are nearly £3,000 worse off in real terms, while teachers take home almost £2,500 than they would if wages had kept pace with inflation.
Prisoners and paramedics are approximately £3,800 a year worse off, the TUC also calculated.
Real-terms wages have taken a knock in recent months as CPI inflation, not including housing costs, has risen to 2.9%.
The Government's 1% pay cap for public sector workers has again come to the fore with claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond described state employees as "overpaid".
Mr Hammond has refused to discuss those claims, which came from reports in the Sunday newspapers, but has said that there is a "premium" for public sector workers because of "very generous" pensions provision.
Although pay rates for public sector staff are set by independent pay review bodies, they have been subject to an overall cap of 1% since 2013.
Unions plan to submit a petition to the Treasury today calling for the cap to be removed, while politicians of all stripes have urged the Government to rethink the policy.
"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.