PRESSURE is growing on the Scottish Government to scrap the public-sector pay cap. Scottish ministers have been urged to end the seven-year squeeze after Tory Prime Minister Theresa May, supported by the Democratic Unionist Party, refused to change the policy.
Her refusal followed indications from some senior Tories that the austerity measures were about to be relaxed.
However, a Labour amendment to the Queen’s Speech at Westminster, backed by SNP MPs, was voted down by 323 votes to 309, with the DUP supporting the Tories.
The amendment sought an end to pay restraint for civil and public service workers, who have suffered an approximate 20 per cent wage cut in real terms since 2008.
After the vote, Unions and oppos- ition MPs called on the Scottish Government to lead the way by lifting the one-per-cent cap.
Pay for Scottish civil and public servants has been the devolved responsibility of the Scottish Government since 1999. The Scottish Government Budget set by Finance Secretary Derek Mackay in December last year maintained the cap.
Lynn Henderson of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said: “The workers who keep the Scottish economy running – those who deliver the Scottish Government programme, maintain our forests and fisheries and deliver world class tourism and culture services in Scotland – all of these workers have been hit hard by the pay cap. “It’s not only unsustainable, it is unreasonable and unjust. These workers deserve a pay rise, and it’s time for Derek Mackay to act.”
The annual pay increases of public-sector workers have been capped at a maximum of one per cent for five years. Prior to this, a two-year pay freeze was imposed on public-sector workers.
Scottish teaching union the EIS said the seven-year-long squeeze has led to a substantial decline in real-terms pay, with significant implic- ations for the recruitment and retention of highly qualified grad- uates into the teaching profession.
“The removal of the damaging and counter-productive public-sector pay cap is long overdue,” EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said. “It is deeply regrettable that the UK Government seems to have backtracked on the potential removal of the pay cap, having openly briefed that the UK-wide pay cap was set to be lifted.
“It is now time for the Scottish Government administration, whose MPs voted for the removal of the pay cap at Westminster, to take a lead and set a positive example by scrapping the pay cap north of the Border. For Scotland’s teachers, who have suffered a real-terms pay reduction of around 16 per cent since 2003, the removal of the pay cap would be a very welcome move.
“With schools struggling to fill vacancies, and with teacher workload continuing to rise, it is essential that Scotland’s teachers are given a pay rise and salary levels which more accurately reflect the very important work that they do and the benefits they bring to society.”
Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie said teachers, nurses and other public-sector workers “earning an average full-time wage or less” must receive at least an above-inflation pay rise. When the Scottish Government introduced pay restraint in the public sector, it was seen as a short-term measure to avoid job losses in the face of cuts to the block grant,” Harvie said. “Since then we’ve seen real-terms pay levels eroded year after year, while the Scottish Government has gained the tax powers needed to raise new revenue.
“With inflation on the rise, the pay cap must now be seen as unjustified, as well as being unnecessary.”
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “Just 50 days ago, Nicola Sturgeon and her SNP MSPs shamefully voted against lifting the pay cap for our dedicated NHS staff.
“It is high time that our public-sector workers got the pay rise they deserve.”
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