Unions have threatened strike action after the government announced that civil service pay rises should be limited to 3% this year. The Cabinet Office issued a remit allowing an average award of 2%, with an additional 1% targeted at specific priorities.
Cabinet Office minister Heather Wheeler said the increase would ensure 'broad parity with private sector wage settlements' while allowing investment in services. However, unions condemned the rise as too low, with CPI inflation forecast to average 7.4% this year.
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, called the offer 'effectively a cut' and said the union is considering an 'industrial response'. He accused the government of showing 'utter contempt' to members who worked through the pandemic.
Garry Graham, deputy general secretary of Prospect, said the pay remit means 'yet another crippling real-terms pay cut for civil servants', noting that they have already faced a 20% real-terms cut since 2010.
