Public sector workers in Luton to get above-inflation pay rise

Thousands of public sector workers in Luton are due for an above-inflation pay rise, as part of plans unveiled by the new Chancellor Rachel Reeves yesterday to get the economy back on track.

Teachers, doctors, nurses and police officers are among those scheduled to receive pay rises, following the Labour Government’s first speech on the state of public finances.

The Treasury will implement the recommendations made by the public sector pay review bodies after the previous Conservative administration “failed to prepare these recommendations in their departmental budgets”.

1.3million NHS workers, including those at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, and 500,000 teachers across the country will get a 5.5% pay rise. Armed forces staff are in line for a 6% pay rise, and Junior Doctors will receive an average of 22.3% over 2 years.

Police officers will get a 4.75% rise, while prison officers will get 5%.

The news comes as the Chancellor decried the £22billion black hole in the country’s finances and announced that she would review unfunded projects to deliver on the promise of stabilising the economy.

The implementation of the pay rises is to deal with recruitment and retention issues and protect the public services upon which we all rely. The Chancellor’s intervention is also expected to minimise the likelihood of further strike action in the public sector.

Sarah Owen, Labour MP for Luton North, said:

“It is welcome that thousands of Luton’s hard-working public servants, whether in health, education or law enforcement, will get the pay rise they deserve. It is damning that the Conservative administration oversaw such a decline in our public services while leaving those that keep the system running to suffer real-terms pay cuts.

“Having been on the Public Accounts Committee during the last Government, it was always clear that the Conservatives were leaving a huge financial black hole and a skip-load of delayed decisions. It is mind-blowing that there was so much pain over the past 14 years and so little to show for it in the end.

“Labour’s plan to stabilise the economy and get the country growing again will take time – but we are getting to work immediately. Alongside building the homes we need, protecting our energy security and reforming planning, we will restore growth and deliver on public services.”