Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC, has called on the government to increase public sector pay in a bid to help “repair and renew” public services. Speaking ahead of what may be further battles over pay in the coming months, Nowak said that any public sector pay rise must be “serious” and commensurate with improving working people’s lives. Inflation rates currently stand at 2.6%, with the government currently envisaging pay rises of 2.8%.
Nowak also called on the government to use the six-month-long Spending Review currently underway to develop a longer-term plan for funding public services. Independent pay review bodies are set to make recommendations over future pay rises, however any suggestions of pay increases in excess of 2.8% are likely to be accompanied by insistence from government on improvements in productivity. Nowak argued that it is difficult to see how productivity improvements can be delivered at the expense of pay and conditions of staff on the front line.
Writing in a blog post, Nowak also criticised the government’s withdrawal of the winter fuel allowance and indicated that the Trades Union Congress had called on ministers to retain the allowance and offer additional support such as a lower pension credit threshold. The new Employment Rights Bill was welcomed by Nowak, though he suggested that it remained subject to consultation. The Bill includes proposals such as rights for workers to request predictable and stable contracts and leave for training.
Finally, Nowak warned of the need for a “just transition” if the UK is to achieve its goal of meeting 95% of energy needs from renewables by 2030. Nowak called for comprehensive plans to support workers in currently fossil fuel-dependent industries to be in place before progress is made towards the new target
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