Voters back fair pay for public servants

As hundreds of public service workers prepare to lobby their MPs today, new research shows wide public backing for union calls for public sector wages to keep up with the cost of living and with wage rises in the private sector.The YouGov poll shows that 79% of voters think public service pay should keep up with the cost of living. Nine out of 10 agree that the government should take housing and energy bills into account when working out the cost of living, rather than basing pay negotiations on a measure of inflation that excludes these figures.Nor did those surveyed want the pay of school workers, NHS staff and other public service workers to fall behind private sector pay – 68% believe it is unfair that public service pay settlements currently average 2.7%, while the pay of people working for private companies is increasing by 4%.At lunchtime today, trade unionists working in schools, councils, the NHS and elsewhere will take part in a rally at Westminster before lobbying MPs over union calls for public service wages to keep up with the cost of living.They will tell MPs that the government’s pay policy means that public service workers are facing cuts in their standard of living, that many are already struggling to make ends meet and cannot afford a below-inflation pay rise.