Pre-Budget report pay freeze - No way‏

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis has come out fighting against proposal to restrict public sector pay rises to 1% for 2 years from 2011.

“I am not going to sign up to this. I know how our members feel – they feel angry and betrayed. It is just not on to make nurses, social workers, dinner ladies, cleaners and hospital porters pay the price for the folly of the bankers. The people who earn most should pay the most. Instead we have the disgraceful spectacle of rich bankers threatening to leave the country if they don’t get their massive bonuses. Where is their loyalty? In tough times the rich should show leadership, not run off to the nearest tax haven. We have no idea what inflation will be like in 2011 and beyond. Nor do we know what the future price will be of essentials such as food and fuel. We are on the same side of the street as our members and I won’t let them see their living standards eroded.
http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1674

Other key points of the Pre Budget report relevant to UNISON activists were:

- National Insurance up by a further 0.5% from April 2011

- New 50% tax on banker bonuses

- State pension to rise by 2.5% next year

- More help for young unemployed

- Cutting public sector employer pension contributions by £1bn a year

- Free school meals to an extra 500,000 low income families

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8402769.stm