On Thursday, Rishi Sunak made his highly anticipated announcement regarding pay increases for public sector workers in light of high inflation. Rather than offering lower rises as speculated, the Prime Minister, during a press conference at Downing Street, decided to accept the recommended headline pay rise for all pay review bodies.
This means that police officers and prison staff will receive a pay increase of 7%, teachers will receive 6.5%, senior civil servants will receive 5.5%, and the Armed Forces will receive 5% plus an additional £1,000 per year. Junior doctors will see a 6% pay rise along with an extra £1,250 a year, while more experienced consultants will receive a 6% rise.
For doctors, this translates to pay increases ranging from approximately £3,000 to £7,000, with the latter amount being applicable to the highest-earning consultants. Additionally, junior doctors and dentists in training will be offered an average pay rise of 8.8%, slightly higher than the current inflation rate of 8.7%.
Unfortunately, with the refusal to immediately call off strikes, junior doctors will continue their walkout until Tuesday. Consultants, on the other hand, will begin their strike next week on Thursday and Friday.
The British Medical Association’s response stands in contrast to the heads of various educational associations such as the Association of School and College Leaders, the National Association of Head Teachers, the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, and the National Education Union. These educational associations will present the 6.5% pay rise to their members with the recommendation to accept it and cancel any planned industrial action.
Prime Minister Sunak emphasized that the funding for these pay increases did not come from borrowing or tax rises, as both would have their drawbacks. Instead, a combination of increased fees for foreign individuals using the NHS and savings from existing departmental budgets were used to cover the costs. The “immigration health surcharge” will now increase by 66%, from £624 per year to £1,035 per year. Additionally, visa fees for individuals seeking to move to the UK will also rise.
However, savings will still be necessary across Whitehall, with an estimated requirement of £1 billion this year and an additional £2 billion next year. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt took to Twitter to explain the government’s approach in broad strokes.
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