Kristen Zanoni  |  July 22, 2020

Category: Legal News

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A female teacher teaches math at chalkboard as students raise hands - pay rises

Almost 900,00 public sector workers, including teachers and police officers, are going to receive a pay rise.

After months of coping with increased pressures and dangers due to the coronavirus pandemic, public sector workers have been rewarded a pay rise of up to 3.1%, according to the Independent. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced wages will increase for doctors, teachers, dentists, police offers and military members. 

Nurses have not been included in the pay rise because they received a 6.5% increase in wages over three years in 2018, the Guardian reported. Likewise, junior doctors are not included because they negotiated a four-year deal in 2019

One junior doctor from Liverpool has some very strong opinions about being left out of the pay rise after the pandemic.

Jess Macwilliam says it was a “slap in the face” to not receive a pay rise, according to KBC. Although junior doctors do have a newly negotiated pay deal, that was before the coronavirus pandemic.

Macwilliam says she and her fellow junior doctors have been working incessantly throughout the pandemic. 

Teachers will be rewarded at the highest percentage, at a 3.1% pay rise, according to the Independent. Doctors will come in second at a 2.8% pay rise.

Three doctors, female doctor in foreground - pay risesPolice officers, including prison workers, will see their wages rise 2.5%. According to UK government data, 3,005 new police offers have joined the force due to the uplift programme, and 20,000 new officers will be recruited over the next three years. 

Lastly, the Armed Forces and judiciary members can expect a 2% pay rise in their wages.

However, the pay rise will not be seen consistently across the U.K.

The pay rise for teachers includes those who work in England. The police officers, prison officers and National Crime Agency staff who work in England and Wales will receive a high pay rise at 2.5%, and members of the Armed Forces all across the U.K. will get a 2% pay rise.

Over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, over 300 NHS workers have died as a result of catching the virus, the Independent reported. These workers likely caught the virus after caring for patients.

Sunak has said public sector workers are a vital part of the country and the public has come to rely on their services. After months of political insistence, Sunak has agreed to honour those on the front lines with a pay rise.

These past months have underlined what we always knew – that our public sector workers make a vital contribution to our country and that we can rely on them when we need them,” Sunak said. “It’s right therefore that we follow the recommendations of the independent pay bodies with this set of real-terms pay rises.”

The pay rise for military members, prison officers and senior civil servants will be dated back to April, and the pay rise for police officers and teachers will begin in September. 

Although many public sector workers have been granted pay rises, one glaring issue is that not all workers will be awarded higher wages.

Some workers who have risked themselves during the coronavirus pandemic, including social workers, job centre workers, and local government workers are not eligible to receive a pay rise. 

One social worker told BBC News she felt cheated out of a pay rise. Maureen Cummins said social workers have been “chronically underpaid” for years.

The workers that are receiving a pay rise, though, welcome the higher wages. After months of risking their lives during the coronavirus pandemic, they can feel some relief knowing their efforts have at least allowed them to receive a small pay increase.

However, many see the pay rise as subpar. Economists say that combining inflation, pay freezes and a decade of austerity, public sector workers are still being paid below 2010 levels.

Do you think public sector workers are severely underpaid? Do you think their new pay rise makes up for it? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments. 

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