Oldham MP slams plan to hit non-NHS key workers earning over £18,000 with a pay cut

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams believes that Chancellor Rishi Sunak will hit every key worker earning over £18,000 in England with a real-terms pay cut this year - a move that could be set to affect over 4,000 key workers in her own constituency.

Research by Labour indicates that the Chancellor’s plan could affect at least 4,400 key workers in Oldham East and Saddleworth – the teachers, police officers and Armed Forces personnel on the front line of the battle against Covid-19.

In his Spending Review on November 25, the Chancellor announced a ‘pay freeze’ for all public sector workers earning above £24,000 in 2021-22. 

NHS workers weren’t included, while those earning less than £24,000 were promised “a fixed increase of £250”.

Taking into account inflation over the next fiscal year, that means every non-NHS public sector worker earning over £18,000 looks set to get a real-terms pay cut.

In Oldham East and Saddleworth, Ms Abrahams insists this means 998 teachers will see their pay cut.

Across the North West, 17,000 police officers and over 90% of the 1840 Armed Forces are likely to be affected.

Ms Abrahams said: “Key workers have kept our country going throughout this crisis, but now Rishi Sunak wants to give over a million of them with a real-terms pay cut.

"Not only is that poor reward for their hard work, it’s economically irresponsible.

"If families have less money to spend, then businesses will suffer and the recovery will take longer.

“In contrast, 2300 consultants working on the lackadaisical national Test and Trace run by Serco and other private companies and costing £22bn, are being paid over £163,000 a year.

"This shows the Government has no commitment to the public sector or public sector workers.  

“The Chancellor must think again, and cancel plans to cut Universal Credit, hike council tax and cut pay for our police officers, teachers and Armed Forces personnel.

"They shouldn’t have to carry the can for this Government’s mistakes.

"On top of the pay freeze, the Spending Review also contained a one-billion-pound council tax bombshell hidden in the small print and a cut to Universal Credit that will hit those who can least afford it.

"Labour has condemned this triple hammer blow to people’s pockets when the economy is so fragile and is calling on the government to scrap its plans to hit family finances.

"Making people worried about making ends meet will pull spending out of local high streets and small businesses, damaging consumer confidence at the very moment the Government should be building it up."

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