Anyone else fearful that the 5% pay cut given to Cabinet ministers will be passed down to all public sector workers?

[JackiePaper]

It's not looking good is it, both me and DH work in the public sector, and if we get 5% pay cuts, NI goes up 1%, Tax credits are cut and VAT increases to 20% i don't actually think we will be able to afford food

Hopefully the increased tax allowance will help. The food basics are VAT free and they've only mentioned tax credit cuts for higher earners so try not to worry.

They've also said "1% National Insurance tax rise to be partly scrapped" (whatever that means) and "[they] will protect those on low incomes from the effect of public sector pay constraint and other spending constraints"

I work in the public sector to, whenever I tell people this they expect a salary of 20k plus (I wish) and bonuses of thousands (try 250 quid) hopefully they'll restrict it to the high earners i.e those on 100k

Well if you do get pay cuts or freezes that's only what those of us in the private sector have had for the last few years. And bonuses?... what are they?

We've already had our pay frozen
any jobs advertised fromnow on are to be temporary in case of job cuts

No bonuses where i work

I expect it will happen. I'm not fearful per se as I think it's probably the right thing - it will reduce the amount of jobs that have to be cut. Hope you are ok though.

But Chil, public sector staff such as myself (a nurse) get low pay and paltry rises. It's a bit different to the private sector, where basic salaries (let alone bonuses) are usually considerably higher.

I guess we need to see how it pans out. Once all the giving with one hand and taking away with the other is sorted out - then we can see what is left.

bonuses! none here either, we've been having pay rises below the rate of inflation for several years already!

It's unfortunate that many private sectors think all public sector workers get bonuses on golden pensions
they won't be happy though when their children are taught be one teacher to 35 kids with no ta
that their kids can't go to breakfast club anymore so they have to quit work
or their bins get emptied once every three weeks
and their local library is closed in favour of a mobile library visiting their area once a month

we've also got a recruitment ban of 2 years so we take on the jobs of those who've left, i'm terrified to take too much mat leave in case my colleauges resent me for giving them more work

Ladylush - that is no longer true. Average salaries in the public sector are now higher than in the private sector.

compo - there is no evidence that TA's have improved outcomes, and some that they have reduced them. There needs to be more analysis of where it's best to spend the money. Breakfast clubs have a clearer immediate benefit.

From the Office for National Statistics:

The percentage difference between the median level of full-time earnings in the public sector (£539 per week) and the private sector (£465 per week) widened over the year to April 2009, following annual increases of 3.1 per cent and 1.0 per cent respectively.

both me and DH work in the public sector and I'm more concerned about us having jobs this time next year, rather than a pay cut.

It's comments like chil's tho that rile me cos we have had pay cuts and freezes and staff cuts

ooojim - it depends on the job I guess. Frontline staff such as nurses, OTs, etc. don't get much.

it's just so depressing. we've had overtime ban for coming up two years now and lots of people relied on that for basic day to day living. if more cuts are made what are people meant to do exactly?

the NI increase is being introduced for employees, but not for employers. (typical tories)
They can't cut my pay by much as I only earn a few pence above the minimum wage, but Dh will be seen as middle income, but his salary has to supprt the whole family, and we will be screwed if they cut it by 5%.
Unfortuately we earn enough to not recieve any help, but not enough that we have any spare money or can shoulder pay cuts without food/electric/petrol having to give. I think it is these low to middle income families who only earn enough to scrape by who are going to feel the brunt of these cuts.

yup...wage freeze and recruitment ban here too. but in the private sector...

if i was doing a comparable job in the public sector i'd most likely earn £1k more pa too (i know this from co-workers who have worked for HRMC/ the council..). never mind having a pension guaranteed by the state..rather than one that lost 85% of its value last year!

we don't have good times ahead, in either sector.

the public sector bleeds money.

It's massively over staffed and wasteful - there need to be huge cuts and that was made pretty clear before the election.