Freezing public sector pay for the next three years could save a
cumulative £23 billion, according to leading centre-right think
tank, the Centre for Policy Studies.
A new report by the think tank argues that since the start of the
pandemic, private sector workers have suffered far more than
those in the public sector, and makes the case for public sector
pay restraint over the next three years to ensure the labour
market isn’t unfairly weighted towards the public sector.
The public sector currently employs roughly 5.5 million workers,
at a total cost of around £190 billion a year, and this could
increase substantially over the next few years unless the
government exercises pay restraint.
‘Public
Sector Pay: The Case for Restraint’ suggests that if pay were
to be frozen across the public sector, the Government could save
£3.8bn in year 1, £7.7bn in year 2 and £11.6bn in year 3. If NHS
staff were exempt from the freeze, to account for their hard work
and sacrifices during this pandemic, the Government could save a
cumulative £15.3 billion over the same period.
The paper also sets out a more generous approach, which would see
pay increasing by 1% each year for three years, which could save
£11.7 billion over that period – or £7.7 billion if a higher rate
were still granted to healthcare workers.
Those employees who benefit from incremental pay rises would
still see their pay increase if they move up their pay band.
The Government placed a cap on public sector pay in 2012 to
ensure those in the private sector were not left behind following
the financial crisis of 2008/09, however this cap was lifted in
2018 and the pandemic risks creating the same disparity. The
result being that public sector advantages over the private
sector, in terms of higher pay, greater job security and
significantly better pension provision, will increase further
still.
Pension provision, for example, is vastly more generous in the
public sector, with 86% of public sector workers receiving
employer pension contributions worth 10% of earnings or more,
compared to just 10% of private sector workers.
The CPS is concerned that the financial impact of the coronavirus
could affect private sector workers in a similar way to the
previous recession, making it necessary and fiscally responsible
to adjust pay policy in the public sector to ensure a fair and
efficient labour market.
Robert Colvile, Director of the CPS, said:
“The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been
severe, but the pain has not been shared equally. Some businesses
are folding under the strain, public finances have been
decimated, while the public sector has escaped relatively
unscathed.
“Healthcare workers aside, it is difficult to justify
generous pay rises in the public sector when private sector wages
are actually falling. At the same time, there is a need to
control public spending and reduce the structural deficit which
the pandemic is likely to have opened up.
“The Chancellor should redress this imbalance by showing
restraint when it comes to pay and pensions in the public
sector.”
ENDS
