The boss of the Fire Brigades Union has said that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has "declared war" on workers in his spring Budget. General secretary Matt Wrack said today's announcements did nothing to help low-paid families across the country.
Mr Wrack said: “The multimillionaire Chancellor has declared war on hard-pressed workers today, with this Budget of cuts. The Government has learned nothing from nearly a year of industrial disputes, caused by its outrageous attempts to cut the wages of firefighters, rail workers, NHS staff, postal employees and teachers.
“Firefighters forced the employers into making an improved pay offer on the back of an overwhelming vote for strike action. However, just over a week after this dispute was settled, the Tories are at it again, with a Budget that adopts the same cuts-driven approach to public sector pay and services.
“The Chancellor has stuck up two fingers to workers with this Budget that does nothing for the low-paid and poverty-stricken families during the cost-of-living crisis. Once again, Jeremy Hunt and the similarly ultra-wealthy Prime Minister are making workers pay for the economic mayhem caused by the notorious mini-budget last autumn, which sought to give tax handouts to the rich at the expense of the rest of us.”
Mr Wrack's comments come after Institute of Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson said that the Government had made "a choice" to continue to fund fuel duty cuts rather than increase public sector workers' pay. He said Mr Hunt had previously said that there was no money for workers but managed to find £6billion for fuel duty.
The general secretary of Unite the Union mirrored those of the Fire Brigades Union. Sharon Graham claimed the Chancellor had "betrayed" workers in the NHS.
She said: “Today the Chancellor had a chance to save the National Health Service – starting by paying NHS workers their dues. Instead, he made the wrong choices and delivered a historic betrayal.
“So while Jeremy Hunt rearranges the deck chairs for corporate Britain, workers in the real economy face a crisis.
“This Budget does next to nothing to address the historic cost-of-living crisis hitting workers throughout our broken economy. Since 2010, real wages have fallen by 15% and that’s going to get worse.”
