ATBU? Tories and DUP in favour of freezing public sector pay

[AtHomeDadGlos]

So, the Tories along with their cash rich friends the DUP have just voted down Labour's amendment (supported by every other MP) to end the public sector pay freeze.

So they can find £1bn to keep themselves in power but can't find anything to pay our firefighters, nurses, police force or teachers more?

TABU aren't they?

[Squirmy65ghyg]

Yes.

[LagunaBubbles]

Yanbu. I can't think what to say without swearing and I'm going on holiday so I don't want to spoil my good mood.

[Sirzy]

But we don't have a money tree you know

[FaithAgain]

We've had a 14% wage drop in the last, what, 7 years? It takes the piss!

[CantStandMeow]

Yep. They're scum

[LineyWimey]

The DUP appear to have taken all the money.

[AtHomeDadGlos]

Just to say, I've already emailed my Tory MP (kind of LD/Tory marginal) with an email asking why he voted against ending the pay freeze and what his justifications are.

Happy to post it on here for others to use as a template if that would be useful.

[PookieDo]

As a public sector worker myself for 20 years let's just say I absolutely detest these absolute power tripping wank stains

[FriendPlease]

TABU. I think we now need tory supporters to come along and tell us why this was the right decision and for the best..

[FriendPlease]

AtHome I'd love to see it so I can send something to my MP as well (tory stronghold place, no hope of getting through to him but must try)

[Ledkr]

Dh and are are both public sector.
We are just used to it now.
We work awful shifts, enforced extra hours and get really stressed to the point if not sleeping.
We have just resigned ourselves to never having savings or being able to help our kids out in anyway as they get older.

[IFartGlitter]

Too angry to type what I want to.

Beyond angry.

Scum.

[WinchestersInATardis]

Just saw one Tory MP tweet that he's going to do his best to get rid of cap but voted against amendment because he won't 'play political games'.
So basically he's admitted it would be right thing to do but didn't vote for it because it didn't suit him politically. Horrendous.

[AtHomeDadGlos]

Dear (insert MP's name)

As a teacher who has worked in the public sector for many years, I should like to know your reasons for voting against the Labour movement tonight to end the public sector pay freeze.

I should also like to know why it is that your party can find the money to buy the support of the DUP but feels they are able to ignore the growing clamour for an end to austerity.

Why should teachers continue to educate, nurses to heal the ill, firefighters run into blazing tower blocks and police and armed services to protect our liberty when your party can't cross an imaginary party line to vote in favour of a progressive amendment aimed at paying them fairly in the face of growing inflation and cost of living?

Kind regards,

AtHomeDadGlos
Your postcode (so they know you're their constituent)

Clearly you might need to change the opening sentence as you might not be a teacher. But we've all had experience of the public sector...issue with a neighbour over parking that the police have solved(!), teacher who teachers our child(ren), nurse who helped a family member etc etc.

Let them (Tories and DUP) know that you are angry. And if you live in a Labour/SNP/LD/Green majority then why not email them to thank them for voting progressively?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

yanbintheslightestbitu

[MrsMulder]

I am beyond angry. After 20 years experience and working since I was 17 I am still on a shit wage. I am tired, burnt out and fed up as are most of my collegues. I can see the first ever nursing strike happening in the near future. It is not something I want but we can't do this anymore, nurses are leaving in droves and thanks to brexit and tuition fees it's set to get a whole lot worse. Something needs to change. It's one thing trying to sort the debt of the country out and another to say there is no money but then give 1 billion to the dup and 6 million to the queen feels like they are waving their cash in front of our faces and laughing at us peasants

[AtHomeDadGlos]

Winchester: I saw that too. His name is Jonny Mercer MP, a former forces member too.

He said to 'judge me' on the removal of pay freeze in a tweet. So, if you live Plymouth Moor then you can judge him at the next election by voting Labour who came second.

The only way to end the pay freeze is clearly to vote for the 'progressive' parties like Labour/LDs/Greens/Plaid/SNP and voting tactically where you need to.

[FriendPlease]

Thanks AtHome

[Lismore]

Can I just check ( in case it's changed) - do public sector workers still have pay scales and spines etc which you automatically move up incrementally each year?

[PookieDo]

YEs they do have scales but only 7, once you are at the top you stay there forever and never recieve another pay rise ever again

[MrsMulder]

Not necessarily lismore I can only speak for nurses but my pay has been the same since 2010 when I reached the top of my band

[AtHomeDadGlos]

I'm not sure about the others but not for teachers. The Tories brought in performance related pay which, while there are some positives to it, also allows for abuse from those whose budgets have been slashed.

A triple whammy really. Pay freeze at 1% despite inflation rising, performance related pay so no automatic incremental rise and budgets being lowered in real terms that mean those in charge look to limit your pay.

[PookieDo]

So if you are a band 6 nurse, you get to the point at the top of your scale you stall. You can look for a band 7 job to move to the next pay band but this is not where vacancies are - the vacancies are band 5 newly qualified nurses. My service only employs 2 band 7 nurses (v experienced highly skilled managers) so it isn't like you can easily work your way up - the jobs aren't there to take

[AtHomeDadGlos]

Then Cunt Hunt had the temerity to call nursing a 'vocation' and not a job. So they don't deserve free pay?