UK leadership frontrunner Truss U-turns on public sector pay plans

Truss had vowed to save billions of pounds a year by introducing regional pay boards rather than having a national pay agreement.

• Melvin Samuel
• 02 August, 2022

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By: Melvin Samuel

Liz Truss, the frontrunner to become Britain’s next prime minister, on Tuesday, scrapped a plan to tailor public sector pay to different regions less than a day after announcing it, following a backlash from many within her own party.

Truss had vowed to save billions of pounds a year by introducing regional pay boards rather than having a national pay agreement, something commentators and opponents said would lead to pay cuts for workers such as nurses and teachers outside of London.

“Our hard-working frontline staff are the bedrock of society and there will be no proposal taken forward on regional pay boards for civil servants or public sector workers,” a spokesperson for Truss said.

The spokesperson said there had been a “wilful misrepresentation of our campaign” and current levels of public sector pay would be maintained.

(Reuters)