More than one million public sector workers, including police officers and NHS staff, could be in line for a 3.5% pay rise following submissions by UK Government departments to the pay review process. A host of Whitehall departments announced on Tuesday what level of pay rise would be affordable for 2023/24, with 3.5% the favoured increase for most.
Only the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), when giving its submission for those working in the prison service, differed by saying it would not provide a base figure, instead submitting proposals for wages depending on pay band. The submissions pave the way for police, teachers, NHS workers, doctors and dentists, as well as those working in the judiciary, to receive a 3.5% pay bump in the next financial year.
The UK Government’s evidence will now be reviewed by the independent pay bodies, which will make formal recommendations to ministers. But, with inflation as high as 10% according to some metrics, the wage increase would still amount to a real-terms cut as the UK battles a cost-of-living crisis.
