UNIONS blasted plans to freeze public sector pay — heaping pressure on MPs to reject their own £3,000 hike next year.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is under fire over proposals to scrap inflation-busting salary rises for 5million non-NHS staff including cops, teachers and civil servants.
Some unions raised the spectre of a general strike.
Mr Sunak’s spending review next week comes as a Resolution Foundation report claims the pandemic’s “economic scars” will last until at least 2025.
It said every adult would take a £1,000 hit each year. Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary of Unite, accused Mr Sunak of trying to “pick the pockets of the least well paid”.
GMB national officer Rehana Azam called it “a kick in the teeth for those who have been fighting the pandemic”.
Teaching union boss Kevin Courtney said the cut was “not about fairness”. He added: “This is a con job.”
Public & Commercial Services Union general secretary Mark Serwotka warned: “Widespread anger and industrial action cannot be ruled out.”
Ex-Tory Minister John Redwood said Mr Sunak must legislate to override the independent pay body’s decision to hike MPs’ salaries if the freeze goes ahead.
No10 and the Treasury did not comment yesterday but said public sector pay restraint was mentioned by Mr Sunak when the review was launched in July.
