A health minister has refused to commit to accepting the recommendations of public sector pay review bodies (PRBs) for next year, saying the government has to “look overall at what is affordable”.
Speaking to Sky News, Helen Whately said she would not “pre-empt” the next steps in the process, as the prime minister “needs to be responsible with the public finances” and “look at things in the round”.
Politics live: Chancellor to insist watchdogs use powers to cut prices
The PRBs take evidence from across sectors like the NHS and education each year, as well as submissions from government, before saying what wage rises should be introduced for the following 12 months.
And amid anger from unions about the figures failing to match inflation last year, Health Secretary Steve Barclay insisted it was right for ministers to “continue to defer to that process to ensure decisions balance the needs of staff and the wider economy”.
But reports over the weekend suggested Rishi Sunak could block a recommendation of around 6% for workers over concerns it could increase already record high inflation.
