NHS staff get 4.5% pay rise, teachers 5% and police £1,900 - but unions say it is 'kick in the teeth'

NHS staff will get at least a 4.5% pay rise, teachers at least 5% and police officers will receive £1,900 after a public sector pay review – but unions said it was not enough.

All police ranks will get the same amount of extra pay from 1 September, with those on the lowest pay getting an uplift of up to 8.8% and those on the highest receiving between 0.6% and 1.8% increase in their annual salary.

The minimum starting salary for a police constable degree apprentice will be raised to £23,556 from 1 September.

More than a million nurses, paramedics, midwives, porters and cleaners will get a pay rise of at least £1,400, with the lowest earners receiving up to a 9.3% increase backdated to April, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.

Eligible dentists and doctors will receive a 4.5% pay rise while the average basic pay for nurses will increase from around £35,600 to £37,000 and newly qualified nurses will get a 5.5% increase to £27,055.

Teachers’ starting salaries outside London will rise by 8.9% to £28,000 while experienced teachers who have been in the profession for more than five years will get a 5% increase from September, the Department for Education said.

The government said these are the highest public sector pay rises in nearly 20 years.

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All of the pay rises were recommended by independent public sector pay review bodies, who take evidence and talk to those in the industry.

Their recommendations were all accepted in full by the different government departments, who said the increase recognises the contribution of key workers while balancing the need to protect taxpayers, manage public spending and not drive up inflation.

However, unions have said the increases are a “kick in the teeth” as they are a real terms pay cut due to high inflation.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The government promised rewards for the dedication of the public sector workforce during the pandemic. What they have delivered instead, in real terms, is a kick in the teeth. The so-called wage offer amounts to a massive national pay cut. We expected the inevitable betrayal but the scale of it is an affront.

“During the pandemic, public sector workers were correctly lauded as heroes. They were sent out to deal with the pandemic and did so despite the imminent dangers they faced. Now they are being asked to pay for the crisis with this national pay cut.

“Unite will stand 100 per cent with our public sector members. We will defend them and we will fight for them, in all and every action they wish to take.”

On police pay, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I am pleased to be able to accept the pay review body recommendations in full so that all police officers see a £1,900 salary uplift.

“It is right that we recognise the extraordinary work of our officers who day in, day out, work tirelessly to keep our streets, communities and country safe.”

London Weighting and the Police Dog Handlers’ Allowance will also receive a 5% increase.

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