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NHS staff and supporters protest outside BBC Broadcasting House, in central London, as part of a series of marches and rallies form across the country calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding in September
THE government is facing the threat of industrial action if it attempts to freeze the wages of millions of public sector workers, unions warned today.
Their stark message came as Chancellor Rishi Sunak was reportedly preparing to announce a new freeze on public-sector pay in next week’s spending review, in response to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
A freeze would be a kick in the teeth for key workers clapped by ministers for keeping the country running during the pandemic and a provocation to unions representing NHS workers such as Unison, GMB and the Royal College of Nursing, which have called for pay increases to reflect years of real-terms decline.
Government urged ‘to tackle the root causes’ of the NHS crisis and improve ‘social care services’
