Attacking public sector workers again

The government class war on public sector workers continue. Having attacked their pensions , it is no time for their pay to be reduced. They intend to stop national collective bargaining.

The chancellor, Osborne, will announce plans to pay lower salaries to public sector workers in poorer parts of the country in his budget next week. Proposals to end the practice of national pay bargaining have prompted fears that some workers will find themselves on the wrong side of the divide.

The Public and Commercial Services union said it opposed the plans because such a move "will drive down pay in the regions". It could find it harder to recruit and retain staff and raised concerns about the difficulty of attracting public sector staff to work in relatively poorer areas where they may have to take a pay cut to take the role

Unions also explain that national bargaining brings economies of scale to public sector pay.The NHS, for example, has 161 acute hospital trusts. Each of these, it is claimed, would have to gather labour market intelligence, draw up a negotiating position, hold a number of negotiating meetings involving senior staff, and set up new payroll systems.