In a landmark moment hailed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as a “major breakthrough”, millions of public sector workers, including teachers and doctors, will receive an estimated 6% pay rise. Teaching unions have been reported to suspend all planned strikes immediately in light of this announcement.
The pay rise recommendations, forwarded by independent pay review bodies, range from 6% to 6.5% for the fiscal year 2023-24. This could potentially amount to a staggering £5bn. Notably, these wage increases apply to about 45% of the public sector but exclude the majority of civil servants.
The pay increments each public sector will receive are as follows:
- Junior doctors – 6% + £1,250 one-off payment
- Police – 7%
- Armed Forces – 5% + £1,000 one-off payment
- NHS – 6%
- Prison officers – 7%
- Teachers – 6.5%
The general secretaries of four education unions labelled the 6.5% pay rise for teachers as “the largest ever recommendation” from the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). They voiced their approval of the raise and confirmed the suspension of strike action.
“A 6.5% increase for teachers and school leaders acknowledges the vital role teachers hold in our country. It will undoubtedly ensure that teaching continues to be an attractive profession,” they stated.
The government has also pledged to bring forward broader reforms to lessen teacher and leader workload in collaboration with all four unions. Most importantly, the unions were assured that the government’s offer is adequately funded for schools.
In addition, the government has pledged that all schools will receive extra funding than proposed in March, building on the extra £2bn given to schools in the Autumn Statement. The government has also promised a hardship fund of up to £40m to assist schools facing significant financial difficulties.
Giving a press conference, the prime minister confirmed that these “final” pay awards, described as one of the most significant in decades, would not be funded by increased borrowing or higher taxes but through other means. These include an increase to the charge for migrants applying for visas and the immigration health surcharge. According to Mr Sunak, this would raise over £1bn.
When questioned about whether the 6% pay rise for junior doctors was “fair” compared to their demand for a 35% increase, Mr Sunak stressed the pay review body process as “the best, fair way” to resolve public sector pay disputes.
The FDA trade union welcomed the government’s decision, stating that these recommendations were both “fair and reasonable”. FDA assistant general secretary Amy Leversidge emphasized the need for talented, skilled, and knowledgeable civil servants for addressing chronic issues in public services.
Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, reassured that “frontline” school services will not be affected to fund the 6.5% pay rise for teachers. “We will tell the members very clearly that this is an offer that we think they should bank,” she stated.
