PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS TO GET A PAY INCREASE

Liberal Democrats will guarantee public sector pay increases by at least the rate of inflation.

Nick Clegg said that after five years of pay restraint public sector workers deserved to feel the benefits of the economic recovery.  This is why the Liberal Democrats will ensure that employees in the public sector are no longer subject to real term cuts in their pay from the first full year of the next parliament.

To do this, we will issue guidance to public sector pay review bodies to ensure pay increases at least in line with inflation in 2016-17 and 2017-18.  After that, we will be make sure pay review bodies deliver an above inflation increase in public sector pay.  This means a minimum pay rise over the next two years of:

• £350 for a nurse on £25,000
• £420 for a police officer on £30,000
• Nearly £500 for a teacher on £35,000.

Our balanced approach to the economy – tackling the deficit but doing it fairly – means the Liberal Democrats are the only party that can make this commitment.  The Tories’ ideological cuts to public spending and Labour’s inability to tackle the deficit mean both parties will have to make further cuts to real terms pay.

Public sector pay restraint was brought in to get the nation’s finances back on track and contributed over £12bn to the job of deficit reduction in this parliament.  Liberal Democrats believe it is time to end the era of pay restraint. No more pay freezes or below inflation pay rises.