Support the Strikes

On the eve of the public sector strikes, the TUC says government policies have had a big impact on the spending power of almost six million UK households. Public sector workers are £2,245 worse off as a result of the coalition's austerity policies. The figures, show the average fall in real terms pay suffered by workers since May 2010. NHS staff, teachers, firefighters and local government workers are among those that have lost out following pay freezes and limited pay rises since the government took office.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "The economy may be picking up, but having paid the price in pay freezes and below inflation pay increases for several years there is to be no financial let up for town hall employees and other public sector workers. For them there are no shares to be had in the UK's economic recovery. Instead several more years of penny-pinching and frugal living lie ahead...the government seems happy for the public purse to miss out on billions through income tax cuts for the wealthy and corporation tax reductions for big businesses, yet says there's no money to give a decent pay rise to struggling care assistants, nursery workers, dinner ladies and other local authority employees."