A Wage Freeze Must Include Politicians

A public sector wage freeze - which would affect NHS staff after all they have done - is planned to help pay for the cost of the coronavirus pandemic along with a range of tax increases. Many public sector workers have had wage increases less than inflation for years, effectively providing successive wage cuts while politicians have received wage increases above inflation making them increasingly better off compared with many others. Their excuse is that they don't set their own wages but they pass the laws of this country so they can change the whole mechanism of how their pay is set.

In an interview broadcast on television Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, was asked if he was going to set aside any part of his wages (as footballers had been asked to do) and he confirmed that he did not intend to do so. But the government do apparently intend that public sector workers will suffer a wage freeze.

Remember that public sector workers include the people upon whom we all rely, particularly during the pandemic, especially NHS staff many of whom have risked and even lost their lives during this time. If the public sector is to be further punished then the very least parliament can do is to accept a wage freeze themselves and demonstrate the kind of leadership that inspires and gives confidence.