MPs’ pay rise scandal
Struggling workers say ‘fight poverty pay’!
MPs are set to receive a bumper pay rise of 11% in 2015, bringing a backbencher’s annual salary up to £74,000. This pay hike – in contrast to years of austerity driven pay freezes meted out by the very same MPs to low-paid public sector workers – is supplemented by expense claims that would make a fraudster blush!
“Unison members will be mad and disgusted that MPs’ pay has shot up while we are still enduring a three-year pay freeze!
In January we will be stunned by high gas and electricity bills as well as being hit by massively hiked transport costs.
What do these MPs do anyway? They don’t represent us! Are we not worth decent pay? Come the new year, members will be more determined to fight the pay freeze which is crushing us and our families.”
April Ashley, assistant branch secretary, Southwark Unison (personal capacity)
“At a time when UCU members are in dispute following years of real-terms pay freezes, the MPs’ pay rises will be a slap in the face for our members.
“We work hard to provide a high-quality education to all students, while neoliberal governments have systematically underfunded us and pushed towards the sell-off of post-16 education.
“We need to kick them out and get political representatives who will defend education!”
Thomas House, UCU union (personal capacity)
“PCS workers in the frontline in jobcentres and call centres in Lincolnshire have had to put up with a pay freeze for several years.
“We also have to deal with claimants who are in an even worse financial situation then us.
It sticks in the throat seeing MPs line their pockets. It shows the utter contempt of the establishment for working and poor people in Britain.”
Nick Parker PCS branch secretary, DWP Lincolnshire
Several cabinet ministers have attempted to deflect public criticism by saying they won’t accept the pay rise, conveniently ignoring the fact that they already receive a higher salary then backbenchers – £134,565 – and enjoying other perks, such as a gold-plated final salary pension scheme.
Indeed, this worker-bashing cabinet of 29 ministers includes 23 millionaires. Labour’s shadow cabinet also has at least seven millionaires.
