Councillor Paul Stuart moved and Councillor Jean Robinson seconded the following motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 13:

“Across the UK Over 4 million public sector workers have had the threat of a three year pay freeze imposed on them by the Conservative Government who are determined to make those very people they clapped for each week pay for the Government’s costly mistakes during the Coronavirus pandemic.

This will have huge implications to a large proportion of Wirral residents who are public sector employees. In 2019, the total number of employee jobs was 101,643. Of this number 23.9% are jobs within the public sector with Health being Wirral’s largest industry sector accounting for over 22% of total employee jobs.

Is this how we thank our Nurses, Healthcare workers, teachers, firefighters, civil servants and police officers, who have already had a cut of up to 14% in real terms as a result of the austerity measures brought in by successive Tory governments since 2010?

These same workers risked their lives to save ours during the pandemic, nursed our loved ones, kept our schools open for vulnerable children, cared for the elderly, and kept our streets safe.

The Chancellor seeks to wilfully reignite the damaging debate around public versus private sector workers. The truth is, we need all workers in this country to be treated with dignity, respect and paid a fair wage. There needs to be parity between the two, but not by division, not by a race to the bottom.

This will have a detrimental affect the Wirral economy, with wages of nearly a quarter of the employee population facing a three year pay freeze and the cost of living inevitably rising, people will not have the disposable income they otherwise might to be able to spend locally.

Most families in poverty have at least one member in employment. In-work poverty is increasing. Imposing a three year pay freeze will exacerbate existing levels of poverty across Wirral. We cannot allow our public sector workers to be treated in this way. Government recognition of their vital role during the pandemic must extend further than meaningless gestures. Clapping once a week will not pay the bills.

Council commends the decision to pay the Real Living Wage to care workers; and

Council asks the Leader to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, and ask him to fulfil his pledge to ‘level up’ and not implement a three year pay freeze on public sector workers.”

Councillor Mary Jordan moved and Councillor Jenny Johnson seconded the following amendment, submitted in accordance with Standing Order 13.3:

“After final paragraph add:

Council notes that this motion was drafted prior to the Chancellor’s Spending Review and, in the interests of accuracy:

• The Spending Review includes a pay-rise for more than one million nurses, doctors and others working in our NHS

·  Guarantees a pay rise of at least £250 for 2.1 million public sector workers who earn below the median UK wage of £24,000

And notes that the combined effect of these two policies will ensure a majority of public sector workers will see an increase in pay next year.

Council also welcomes the Chancellor’s decision to accept in full the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission to:

• increase the National Living Wage by 2.2 per cent to £8.91
• to extend this rate to those aged 23 or above
• to increase the National Minimum Wage as well

These increases will benefit approximately 2 million people – ensuring a full-time worker earning the National Living Wage will see their pay rise by £345 next year, an effective increase of over £4,000 since the policy was introduced in 2016.”

Following a debate conducted in accordance with Standing Order 15, and Councillor Stuart forgoing his right of reply, the amendment was put and lost (25:33) (One abstention).

The substantive motion was then put and it was –

Resolved (39:19) (One abstention) -

Across the UK Over 4 million public sector workers have had the threat of a three year pay freeze imposed on them by the Conservative Government who are determined to make those very people they clapped for each week pay for the Government’s costly mistakes during the Coronavirus pandemic.

This will have huge implications to a large proportion of Wirral residents who are public sector employees. In 2019, the total number of employee jobs was 101,643. Of this number 23.9% are jobs within the public sector with Health being Wirral’s largest industry sector accounting for over 22% of total employee jobs.

Is this how we thank our Nurses, Healthcare workers, teachers, firefighters, civil servants and police officers, who have already had a cut of up to 14% in real terms as a result of the austerity measures brought in by successive Tory governments since 2010?

These same workers risked their lives to save ours during the pandemic, nursed our loved ones, kept our schools open for vulnerable children, cared for the elderly, and kept our streets safe.

The Chancellor seeks to wilfully reignite the damaging debate around public versus private sector workers. The truth is, we need all workers in this country to be treated with dignity, respect and paid a fair wage. There needs to be parity between the two, but not by division, not by a race to the bottom.

This will have a detrimental affect the Wirral economy, with wages of nearly a quarter of the employee population facing a three year pay freeze and the cost of living inevitably rising, people will not have the disposable income they otherwise might to be able to spend locally.

Most families in poverty have at least one member in employment. In-work poverty is increasing. Imposing a three year pay freeze will exacerbate existing levels of poverty across Wirral. We cannot allow our public sector workers to be treated in this way. Government recognition of their vital role during the pandemic must extend further than meaningless gestures. Clapping once a week will not pay the bills.

Council commends the decision to pay the Real Living Wage to care workers; and

Council asks the Leader to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, and ask him to fulfil his pledge to ‘level up’ and not implement a three year pay freeze on public sector workers.