New poll shows two to one are against regional public sector pay cut plans

date: 29 March 2012

embargo: 00.01hrs Friday 30 March 2012

A new poll published today (Friday) by Survation into public attitudes on government proposals to introduce local pay for public sector workers shows that twice as many people say the proposals are unfair (56 per cent) as fair (28 per cent). There are majorities for unfair in all UK regions and among Liberal Democrat voters.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The government wants to play divide and rule between public and private sectors, but a big majority say regional pay freezes are unfair.

'Liberal Democrat MPs in particular should take note. Current voters split two to one and nearly two-thirds of people who voted Lib Dem in the last election think moves to local or regional pay are unfair.

'With new research by the Office of National Statistics showing that the pay gap between public and private sector is mainly due to women and the low-paid getting a better deal in the public sector, the Chancellor's ambition to hold down the pay of nurses, dinner ladies, and hospital porters looks increasingly like another attack on the hard-working, struggling majority who come nowhere near benefitting from the abolition of the 50p tax rate.

'Voters also reject the government claim that dinner lady pay cuts will boost the economy. Only 17 per cent say the proposals will help local economies, and 45 per cent say they will harm the local economy. Again the majority goes the same way in every region and among Lib Dem and Labour voters. This is just another policy that shows this government is out of touch with ordinary voters.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The full survey is available at http://bit.ly/HricZW

- Survation questioned 1,178 adults in England, Scotland and Wales on 22 and 23 March

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

Contacts:

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