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Labour candidates turn back on public sector pay cap

30 April 2008

Responses from a survey by the Public and Commercial Services Union of those standing in this week's local government and London assembly elections, show that 85% of Labour candidates and 87% of all candidates are against the government's policy of capping civil and public servant's pay to below inflation.

In London, all the 15 Labour and Liberal Democrat GLA candidates who responded support the union’s campaign for pay rises in line with inflation and for a national pay framework for the civil service. This is compared to unanimous opposition from the Conservative candidates.

The findings show candidates increasingly turning their back on key government policies and are a result of the union’s Make Your Vote Campaign, which also challenged candidates where they stood on privatisation and civil and public service job cuts.

On privatisation 87% of Labour candidates in England and Wales and 100% in London shared the union’s concerns that privatisation has gone too far.

On civil and public service job cuts there was a similar picture amongst Labour candidates, with 84% in England and Wales and 100% in London against the government’s policy of cutting jobs.

Elsewhere, 95% of Liberal Democrat candidates in England and Wales and 61% of Conservative candidates supported the PCS on pay, with 83% of Lib Dems and 58% of Conservatives opposed to government job cuts. On privatisation 81% of Lib Dems and 49% of Conservatives supported the union.

Plaid Cymru, the Left List, Respect Renewal, Socialist Alternative and the Socialist Party responses all backed the union’s campaign on all three areas.

Meanwhile, the London Green Party responses showed that 100% of candidates supported PCS on job cuts and privatisation with 88% supporting the union on pay.

Today’s analysis is based on the 368 responses from candidates standing in the English and Welsh local elections and 35 standing in the London Assembly elections. It is one of the largest polls of candidates ahead of Thursday’s elections.

The full results can be obtained by emailing the PCS national press officer, Alex Flynn.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said:

“These responses, coming days after a one day strike over pay by teachers, lecturers and civil and public servants, show clearly that there is no support for the government’s policy of pegging public sector pay to below inflation even within Gordon Brown’s own party.

"Added to this is complete lack of support for the government on cutting civil and public servants and privatisation. These responses show Labour candidates turning their backs on key policy areas and illustrate how out of touch the government have become.

“Last week demonstrated that civil and public servants, some of whom are on the minimum wage, are prepared to take stand over below inflation pay. This week they have a chance to go to the ballot box and make an informed choice about the issues that affect them.”
 

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