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2.8% increase in Army pay bucks public sector squeeze
Joe Murphy, Political Editor31 Mar 2009
THE Armed Forces were today exempted from a crushing public sector pay squeeze in recognition of their sacrifices in Afghanistan.
Gordon Brown sanctioned a 2.8 per cent rise for soldiers sailors and airmen from tomorrow, meeting in full the recommendation of a review body.
But he imposed a 1.5 per cent salary limit on judges, senior civil servants and NHS managers, tearing up reports from independent pay bodies that had proposed rises of up to 2.6 per cent.
The decisions were agreed by the Cabinet at its weekly meeting this morning. Decisions on pay for teachers, nurses and other public servants are still to come. The Prime Minister said: "It is important in the present economic climate that senior staff in the public sector show leadership in pay restraint."
But along with Defence Secretary John Hutton, he was keen to pay the full rise proposed for military officers and troops, because of the extra pressure on all the Forces from the strain of fighting in Afghanistan.
An Army private will receive basic pay of between £16,681 and £25,887 - with more for those on tour of duty.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff, said: "This pay rise is welcome and appropriate acknowledgement of the burden our people are carrying on behalf of the nation, and of their remarkable achievements."
In a separate squeeze on the public sector pay bill, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell announced that he would launch a new effort to cut the ballooning costs of officials taking early retirement. Whitehall departments will be ordered to stop giving early retirement or compulsory redundancies to officials who could be redeployed elsewhere, saving money.
The intervention is an admission that the civil service has been over-willing to give generous severance terms.
Mr Brown said the new terms would save up to £500million over three years, and a target set to reduce the real terms cost of running Government by five per cent in each of the next three years.
The Senior Salaries Review Body had recommended senior civil servants get 2.1 per cent, judges 2.6 per cent and senior NHS managers 2.4 per cent.
Reader views (14)
Government employee salaries are already some 20% ahead of private companies for the same level of job and their pension rights are out of this world in comparison. Brown will only be taking the slump seriously when he starts demanding, and getting, trades unions in the public sector to sign up to at least 20% cuts in wages and and the removal of all pension scheme fripperies that you and I who don't work for councils etc have to pay for. Given how bad it is going to get maybe cowardly Brown will just let the economic hurricane coming round the corner do it for him. Council wages and pension funds reliant on private company growth for their payouts can't pay out if the private companies they controlled no longer exist due to supporting too many lazy council employees who want jam today AND tomorrow. Of course the same arguments can be used to show that City of London bankers and "investment" brokers also do nothing of any use and they will also go to the wall without Brown having to lift a finger. When will he actually show some leadership in telling people how bad it is and how the lazy majority, sadly it is now a majority, can no longer be allowed to drag the others down?
- John, Aberdeen, UK, 01/04/2009 12:31
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. . . Yet London MPs are getting 9.0%? Do London MPs really put their lives at risk on a daily basis?
Where's the justice in that?
- Fraser, Telford Park, 31/03/2009 23:55
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The only half sensible thing this Government has done during the past decade . . . shame they didn't have the sense to increase it a bit more, especially when we see the rise in pay and allowances they voted in for themselves . . . biggest risk they take is breaking a nail lodging their pay checks ! ! !
- Eoin Mcgreeghan, Derry, NI, 31/03/2009 22:00
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If the government wants to create a 'fiscal stimulus', how about spending some money building them, (the armed services) some proper military hospitals and recovery and rehabilitation centres?
Also, what about updating some of the squalid, dilapidated hovels that currently pass off as military accommodation? There's more to do with our services that simply giving them a (small) pay rise.
And the government wonders why the armed services are finding it ever harder to recruit and retain good personnel...
- John T, London, 31/03/2009 18:34
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Presumably the 'burden' Sir Jock talks about refers to our governments appetite for getting involved in illegal and bogus conflicts..?
- Martin Bristow, Loughton, Essex, 31/03/2009 18:00
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Ab, London - 1970s Stationed in Germany, pay with overseas living allowance was not bad. Germany was even with the exercises a reasonably "soft" posting. However, we did tours of Northern Ireland - when arriving there we lost many pounds (marks) per day. So a grateful government gave a 50p a day active service allowance instead of the money we lost.Happy days !
- Wills, Soton, 31/03/2009 17:55
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Give them more - a lot more.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants, 31/03/2009 17:44
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PAY INCREASE FOR ARMY FACING A BULLET 2.8%
PAY INCREASE FOR MPS FACING THE ENTIRE COUNTRIES FURY 9% ON TOP OF DRAWING 93 MILLION IN EXPENSES.
NO COMMENT BUT ROLL ON THE ELECTION.
- Alan Green, Woodford Green, 31/03/2009 17:17
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To Roz in France. No-one in their right mind begrudges our armed forces a pay rise, the only thing we'd carp about is the fact that it's such a low rise !! It is about time our armed forces got the recognition and respect they deserve. Take the payrises from our useless politicians and give it to the forces. Afterall, the armed forces only get sent in because politics fails.
- Kim, Lancing, West Sussex, 31/03/2009 17:10
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Ros, Chamonix - the only thing I'll be carping about is the derisory sum our soldiers get paid for risking life and limb. They should be getting 9% and the Government should be paid zilch for their incompetence. Mind you, they will pay at the next election, won't they?
- Sonia M., St Albans, Herts, 31/03/2009 16:47
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Why not exempt the armed forces from tax when they are posted abroad? Any businessman would claim an exemption from tax. But you know, the Government make sure the armed forces are flown back for a holiday in the middle of their tour so they can't claim they've been abroad for 6 months. Disgraceful, considering armed forces pay is a fraction of MPs' tax free allowances.
- Ab, London, 31/03/2009 16:47
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That's still rubbish, I wouldn't stand in a field with half my equipment missing or faulty and get shot at for double that, especially when I'd be sent there under false pretenses.
- Bob, Cheam, 31/03/2009 16:35
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The forces deserve a proper pay increase but is is a pity that our self serving MPs have effectivley awarded themselves a 9% increase by inflating their already gross allowances.
Let the forces run the country and send our MPs to the front line Afganistan for a spell. They would then know what it is to earn the taxpayers'money.
- Martin Fielding, London, England, 31/03/2009 16:23
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The average Private earns less than £16kpa plus £3k if he does 6mths abroad, before anyone starts carping . . .
- Roz, Chamonix, France, 31/03/2009 15:46
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