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Commenting on figures published today (Wednesday) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which show that pay growth in the public sector has fallen to 0.1 per cent, a 3.8 per cent real terms pay cut since last year, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

Commenting on figures published today (Wednesday) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which show that pay growth in the public sector has fallen to 0.1 per cent, a 3.8 per cent real terms pay cut since last year, TUC General  Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Millions of public sector workers who did nothing to cause the recession are still being made to suffer through job losses and reduced pay packets.

“Pay growth in the public sector has slowed to a standstill, with workers now £2,000 a year worse off in real terms since the government took office. Not only are workers having to contend with job insecurity and real wage cuts, many are also facing cuts in other basic benefits like overtime pay and annual leave.

“These painful pay losses are not only hurting hard-working staff and their families, they are also sucking billions of pounds out of local economies.

“Britain needs a pay rise to end the longest wage squeeze in over a century – and public sector workers should get their fair share too.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- Today’s figures published by ONS show that average weekly earnings growth (including bonus pay) in the public sector (excluding financial services) was only 0.1 per cent in August compared to the same period last year. Earnings growth in the private sector was 1.1 per cent in the same period.

- The TUC has deflated average weekly earnings figures by RPI to calculate that average public sector pay is £2,073 lower in real terms today, compared to May 2010.

- The latest labour market figures are available at www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/october-2013/statistical-bulletin.html

- The TUC’s campaign plan can be downloaded from www.tuc.org.uk/campaignplan

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen   T: 020 7467 1248    M: 07778 158175    E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth    T: 020 7467 1372    M: 07717 531150     E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson   T: 020 7467 1337    M: 07900 910624     E: egibson@tuc.org.uk

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