"Giving with one hand, taking away with the other" – PCS responds to Budget.
Union says by announcing a 2% ‘productivity, efficiency and savings target’ for all government departments, Rachel Reeves appears to be wiping out the 1.7% real terms increase in departmental spending
Responding to the Budget, PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “The Chancellor seems to have given with one hand while taking away with the other.
“By announcing a 2% ‘productivity, efficiency and savings target’ for all government departments, she appears to be wiping out the 1.7% real terms increase in departmental spending. This is concerning at a time when the vital public services our members work so hard to deliver are crying out for real investment.
"While we welcome the rise in the National Living Wage, too many of our members – 20,000 in the DWP alone – will next year need a pay rise just to keep up with the rate.
“If the government is serious about making work pay, the NLW should be raised to at least £15 an hour and the government should fulfil its pre-election pledge to bring outsourced companies, many of whom pay just the NMW, back in-house immediately.”
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