Public Sector Workers Given 1% Pay Rise

More than a million public sector workers, including nurses, doctors and soldiers, will have a 1% pay rise from next month.

The Treasury has accepted recommendations from a number of pay review bodies - sparking anger from unions because the increase is well below inflation.

Unison, which represents 450,000 NHS workers, claimed staff would face another year of financial hardship as a result of the move.

It condemned the second successive 1% annual increase as a "squeeze" on pay that would leave many workers struggling to make ends meet.

The 1% rise will be paid to a million NHS workers, 169,000 doctors and dentists, 170,000 members of the armed forces from the ranks of private to general, 31,000 prison staff, 3,600 senior civil servants, 2,200 members of the judiciary and 500 senior NHS managers.

The Treasury said the pay award was in line with the Chancellor's Autumn Statement in 2011 on public sector pay following a wage freeze.

But Christina McAnea, Unison's head of health, asked: "What kind of message does it send to health workers about the value this Government places on their work? And what incentive is there for young people to join the NHS when they are so undervalued?"

The union has reported more health workers, including nurses, turning to its welfare fund for help to pay for rising fuel bills, debt advice and emergency loans.

Dr Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "There is no doubt that nurses and health care assistants are really struggling to keep their heads above water financially as their pay levels are failing to keep pace with inflation.

"The reality of increasing living costs means we are seeing higher numbers of our members in debt and unable to meet mortgage payments."

Dr Carter added that a 9% gap had opened up during the previous two-year freeze because of rising inflation and warned of the knock-on affect on patient care.