UK Labour Party's Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds on Thursday slammed the Conservative government's decision to freeze the pay of 1.3 million public sector workers as part a budget review to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, and warned that police, firefighters and teachers "are going to have less in their pockets to spend."
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2020) UK Labour Party's Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds on Thursday slammed the Conservative government's decision to freeze the pay of 1.3 million public sector workers as part a budget review to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, and warned that police, firefighters and teachers "are going to have less in their pockets to spend."
"That wasn�t the right decision to make now," Dodds told Sky news broadcaster, commenting on the government's spending review for the coming year presented to parliament by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Wednesday.
The proposal states that all public sector workers, with the exception of National Health Service staff and those earning less than 24,000 Pounds ($32,045) per year, will not receive a pay rise in 2021.
According to the opposition lawmaker, instead of announcing the pay freeze and a two-percent cut in foreign aid, Sunak should have seized the opportunity to build back economic confidence by taking responsible choices that would translate in recovering jobs, retaining workers and rebuilding businesses.
"I would have like him to be making savings around all the waste and mismanagement that we�ve seen of public funds over recent months," she added.
Dodds mentioned, in particular, reports that the government spent 10 billion pounds extra in personal protective equipment than was necessary, or that private companies are 10 times more likely to get government contracts if they have links to the ruling party.
UK union leaders have also condemned the pay freeze of public sector workers, with the GMB union launching an online petition to revert it.
