11th May 2008

See Stroud District Green party coordinators letter to The Citizen 

The Citizen reports the National Union of Teachers strike at many schools across the County and the recent walk out by 200 staff at Gloucester's Land Registry and other places organised by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union. Both groups have been offered a below-inflation settlement that represents a real-terms salary cut, just as the credit crunch is biting and the cost of living is going through the roof.

They are not alone. Many on low pay are facing similar cuts. This Labour Government has presided over a tax and pay structure for the public services that has seen the gap between the richest and the least well-off stretch wider than under the Tories.

It is time we ensured that public servants are given pay that reflects the work they do. Of course to do so, would cost money, but billions can be found for Iraq, the ID card nonsense, the absurd Trident replacement and more. Not to find money for these pay rises calls into question the very future of high quality local public services.

Forcing another pay cut on our public servants can only make future recruitment and retention harder. But let us not forget, pay is not the only issue we should be considering. Working conditions are also crucial. In the case of teachers there should be resources to encourage real learning and better behaved children, less bureaucracy and a smaller workload with smaller class sizes. Not to look at the whole picture threatens to reverse recent improvements in local schools' performance.

Elinoir Croxall, Stroud District Green party