New analysis by Labour reveals that Chancellor Rishi Sunak will hit all of our NHS heroes with a real terms pay cut this year, as well as other key workers who have kept the country going throughout the pandemic.
This includes at least 9,3000key workers in Oldham West and Royton– the nurses, teachers, police officers and Armed Forces personnel on the front line of the battle against Covid-19.
On Thursday, the Government revealed that they intend to cut the pay of all NHS staff relative to inflation this year.
This comes after the Chancellor announced a ‘pay freeze’ for all other public sector workers earning above £24,000 in 2021-22. Those earning less than £24,000 were promised “a fixed increase of £250”.
Taking into account inflation over the next fiscal year, that means every non-NHS public sector worker earning over £18,000 will also get a real terms pay cut.
In Oldham West and Royton, this means 1,183teachers will see their pay cut, as well as 17,000 police officers and over 90% of the 1,840 Armed Forces personnel based in the North West.
On top of the pay freeze, the Budget also confirmed a one-billion-pound council tax bombshell and a cut to Universal Credit in six months that will hit those who can least afford it.
Labour has condemned this triple hammer blow to people’s pockets as totally irresponsible when the economy is so fragile and is calling on the government to scrap its plans to hit family finances.
Making people worried about making ends meet will pull spending out of local high streets and small businesses, damaging consumer confidence at the very moment the Government should be building it up.
Jim McMahon MP said:
“Last week’s budget has confirmed the what many of us already knew, that this Conservative Government have the wrong priorities. Frontline key-workers have literally risked their lives keeping our country going throughout the pandemic and now the Chancellor is effectively rewarding them with a pay-cut.”
“Not only is it morally wrong it makes no economic sense, families having less money to spend means local business will suffer and our wider economy will take longer to recover.”
“And just this morning the NHS boss Simon Stevens confirmed that our wonderful NHS workers were in line for a pay-rise more than double what the government are now offering.”
“It’s wrong, and it shows that this Government’s priorities are out of touch with working people across Chadderton, Oldham and Royton. The Government have to rethink this and cancel plans to cut pay for nurses, police officers and teachers.”
Jim McMahon OBE MP 