The Conservatives are planning another Parliament of below-inflation wage offers, warns GMB – the union for public service workers.

The party’s attack dossier on Labour’s spending plans assumes ‘that the current Government uplifts pay by 2 per cent each year.’ This is lower than the projected Retail Price Index rate in each year for which figures are available.

The union also hit out at the flawed and inconsistent document. The Conservative Party did not account for the tax and National Insurance payments that the Treasury recoups from public sector workers, despite including this factor when attacking a Labour Conference motion on private schools.

The warning comes as hundreds of public sector workers from across the UK prepare to gather in Glasgow next week for GMB’s Public Services section conference next week.

GMB previously uncovered documents which showed that the Conservatives ignored a warning that their public sector pay policy would lead to an increase in child poverty rates.

According to the ONS there are 5.4 million public sector workers across the UK.

Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said:



“The dead cat is out of the bag. If the Tories think they can get away with offering more below-inflation pay rises after years of swinging austerity then they have another thing coming.

“Public sector workers have been forced into homeless and left reliant on foodbanks. They urgently need ‘catch-up’ pay rises that start to compensate them for what they have lost.

2020 2021 2022 2023 RPI 2.8 3 3.1 3.1

OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, March 2019, Table 3.8

“Enough is enough. Teaching assistants, local authority workers and ambulance staff cannot endure five more years of cuts to their standard of living. Our members are dedicated professionals but everyone has their breaking point.

“Public sector workers denied the Conservatives a majority two years ago and politicians underestimate the need for fair pay rises at their peril. This document gives public service workers five million reasons not to vote Conservative on December the 12th.”