Commenting on the announcements on public sector pay today (Tuesday), UNISON assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“Behind the good news headlines, the government is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul. Without extra money from the Treasury to fund these pay increases, services and jobs somewhere will have to be cut.
“Ministers have finally recognised the damage and hardship their ill-thought-out pay policies have inflicted on public services and millions of public servants and their families.
“Everyone working tirelessly to deliver services to the public – in increasingly difficult circumstances thanks to the cuts that just keep on coming – needs and deserves a pay rise.
“But just as it did for the NHS and health workers, the Treasury should have come up with the money to fund all these pay promises.
“Sadly these pay rises won’t be pain free for schools and police forces. Without extra resources, already beleaguered budgets will now have to be raided.”