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Freeze top public pay - Darling | Freeze top public pay - Darling |
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Chancellor Alistair Darling has recommended a pay freeze for 40,000 senior public servants in 2010/11. | Chancellor Alistair Darling has recommended a pay freeze for 40,000 senior public servants in 2010/11. |
He has written to salary review bodies calling on them to freeze the pay of judges, senior NHS managers and GPs. | He has written to salary review bodies calling on them to freeze the pay of judges, senior NHS managers and GPs. |
In addition, about 700,000 middle-ranking public servants, including doctors, dentists and prison officers, will get a rise of between 0 and 1%. | |
Unions said they were disappointed by the news and the Tories questioned the announcement during their conference. | Unions said they were disappointed by the news and the Tories questioned the announcement during their conference. |
Mr Darling's move breaks the convention about avoiding big policy statements during rival party conferences and a Conservative spokesman said people would "question his motives". | Mr Darling's move breaks the convention about avoiding big policy statements during rival party conferences and a Conservative spokesman said people would "question his motives". |
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne is due to deliver his keynote speech to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Tuesday. | Shadow Chancellor George Osborne is due to deliver his keynote speech to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Tuesday. |
The spokesman said the move "comprehensively shows that the Conservative party is setting the terms of the political debate on the economy. | The spokesman said the move "comprehensively shows that the Conservative party is setting the terms of the political debate on the economy. |
People are having to manage the reduction in budget and potentially great change in the public services and frankly a nought percent increase is no way to either motivate or reward anybody. Jonathan Baume, First Division Association | People are having to manage the reduction in budget and potentially great change in the public services and frankly a nought percent increase is no way to either motivate or reward anybody. Jonathan Baume, First Division Association |
"It is surprising that the Labour Chancellor chose to make this announcement - which affects hundreds of thousands of people - in the middle of a Conservative Party conference." | "It is surprising that the Labour Chancellor chose to make this announcement - which affects hundreds of thousands of people - in the middle of a Conservative Party conference." |
If it is fully implemented, the pay freeze will be the toughest public sector pay deal in 30 years. | If it is fully implemented, the pay freeze will be the toughest public sector pay deal in 30 years. |
No recommendation about pay for the armed forces has been made. | No recommendation about pay for the armed forces has been made. |
And Mr Darling's announcement does not affect teachers, nurses and police officers who are still subject to three year pay deals which come to an end next year. | And Mr Darling's announcement does not affect teachers, nurses and police officers who are still subject to three year pay deals which come to an end next year. |
A Treasury source told the BBC the pay freeze will override the final year of a three-year pay deal for senior public sector workers. | A Treasury source told the BBC the pay freeze will override the final year of a three-year pay deal for senior public sector workers. |
This means the salary rise expected next summer by GPs, judges, NHS managers and the heads of quangos will not now go ahead. | This means the salary rise expected next summer by GPs, judges, NHS managers and the heads of quangos will not now go ahead. |
And according to the BBC's political correspondent Ben Wright, the Treasury have also said the pay freezes are devolution sensitive. | And according to the BBC's political correspondent Ben Wright, the Treasury have also said the pay freezes are devolution sensitive. |
So the freeze for GPs applies to England and Wales, and senior civil servants who work in national organisations - such as a HM Revenue and Customs worker in Scotland - are also subject to the restriction. | So the freeze for GPs applies to England and Wales, and senior civil servants who work in national organisations - such as a HM Revenue and Customs worker in Scotland - are also subject to the restriction. |
But if someone works in the Scottish health department the pay freeze does not apply, our correspondent added. | But if someone works in the Scottish health department the pay freeze does not apply, our correspondent added. |
'Better ways' | 'Better ways' |
Jonathan Baume, general secretary of civil service union the First Division Association, said a pay freeze was not the right move. | Jonathan Baume, general secretary of civil service union the First Division Association, said a pay freeze was not the right move. |
"For the senior civil service, we were about the enter the third year of a three year settlement which we had entered into in good faith... | "For the senior civil service, we were about the enter the third year of a three year settlement which we had entered into in good faith... |
"These are staff who are doing very demanding jobs at the moment. | "These are staff who are doing very demanding jobs at the moment. |
"We recognise there is a very difficult fiscal situation - there is a crisis in the public finances - but people are having to manage the reduction in budget and potentially great change in the public services and frankly a nought percent increase is no way to either motivate or reward anybody." | "We recognise there is a very difficult fiscal situation - there is a crisis in the public finances - but people are having to manage the reduction in budget and potentially great change in the public services and frankly a nought percent increase is no way to either motivate or reward anybody." |
The British Medical Association said it was not right to penalise frontline NHS staff "especially as many of them are under the pressure of more work during the recession. | The British Medical Association said it was not right to penalise frontline NHS staff "especially as many of them are under the pressure of more work during the recession. |
"There are other more effective ways of making savings in the NHS." | "There are other more effective ways of making savings in the NHS." |