Government set to lift pay cap for police and prison officers
2 min read
The Government is reportedly preparing to lift the cap on public sector pay, with police and prison officers the first to benefit from higher wages.
The BBC reports that ministers will accept recommendations for an increase later this week, with other parts of the public sector also set to benefit in due course.
State workers' salaries have been held down for seven years, with a two-year freeze introduced in 2010, followed by a 1% cap on pay rises.
Theresa May and Chancellor Philip Hammond have been under pressure from trade unions, Labour and a number of Conservative colleagues to change course.
The pay review board for police and prison officers is due to recommend lifting the cap partly because of problems with recruitment and retention of staff in the sector.
Reports last week suggested nurses and teachers would also be among those to benefit from the cap being lifted, with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss due to issue guidance to a number of pay review boards later this month.
The national secretary of the GMB, one of the UK's biggest trade unions, welcomed the reports but warned that changes must be scrutinised carefully.
"The artificial cap on pay was always a political choice by the Conservative Government. This cruel policy has seen thousands of pounds pinched from public sector workers over seven years,
"If real pay rises are now on the cards it will be a huge victory for GMB’s campaign and for public pressure on the Government, but all public sector workers must now receive proper pay rises. That includes those not covered by pay review bodies, such as school support staff, council workers and police staff. The devil will be in the detail."
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