Up to five million public sector workers are in line for a Budget pay rise as the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the UK’s economy is ‘firmly back on track’ after the Covid pandemic.
Mr Sunak said: “The economic impact and uncertainty of the virus meant we had to take the difficult decision to pause public sector pay.
“Along with our Plan for Jobs, this action helped us protect livelihoods at the height of the pandemic. And now, with the economy firmly back on track, it’s right that nurses, teachers and all the other public sector workers who played their part during the pandemic see their wages rise.”
Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson said:
“This Conservative government’s choice last year to freeze pay for so many frontline workers, who have been among the real heroes of the pandemic, was damaging and unsustainable. The government must work to ensure a fair settlement and reflect the vital work of all key workers including many who have been burnt out over the course of the pandemic.”
