Can you look into their eyes

Yes.

And I wish people's unions would stop whingeing.

Can you look into the eyes of Police Officers who have been out on the streets being spat and coughed over on purpose and tell them they don't deserve a pay increase at all?

Yes indeed Baggs what more do they want after all they got a clap.

People didn't clap for the unions.

The unions job is to campaign for the best deal for those they represent. The people we clapped.

Excellent post mokryna

How can anybody try to deny how contemptible this move is?

Agreed. But, in the circumstances (how many extra billions have government spent in the past year – not all of it totally justified, I agree?), I think a bit less campaigning right now wouldn't go amiss.

Unions are made up of their members. They're not a separate entity. The government have given £billions in contracts to their mates. Many of whom didn't provide the goods they were contracted to provide or provided goods of substandard quality. They frittered goodness know how much on the useless track and trace system. They can always find money for things they want to spend money on. But they can't pay the very people who have kept going despite lack of PPE and regardless of their person safety or comfort.

Grannybags

Can you look into the eyes of Police Officers who have been out on the streets being spat and coughed over on purpose and tell them they don't deserve a pay increase at all?

Hear, hear, Grannybags. A vaccination wouldn't come amiss, either.

Yes. They have singly been selected for financial recognition albeit measly at the moment. Other deserving cases have been ignored.

Well said Grannybags.

I see the Nadine Dorries defence is being used here; the NHS are lucky because they got 1% whereas other public service workers got nothing. What about they have all been shafted, some slightly more so? I am saddened but not surprised at the number of people falling for the austerity trick yet again. I truly despair.

Is that the Nadine Dorries who got paid how much to be on IACGMOOH when she should have been working for her constituents?

No party could give pay rises of even 1% to all deserving key workers, we have billions of debt which we will all be paying back for years. At least NHS have been recognised. Many don't have jobs to go back to at all.
People claiming benefits has increased massively, school meals are being paid for extra amounts on Universal credit, furlough wages etc I could go on where is any government going to find this money.

Anyone would think they’re doing their jobs for nothing. And where’s the money supposed to come from, to fund a higher pay increase? The economy is on its knees and many people have lost their jobs. They aren’t heroes, they’re ordinary people like the rest of us who are doing a valuable job.

People were virtually ordered to go out and clap - and what did that achieve, other than allow the government to somehow associate itself with the hard work of hospital and care staff.

I assume that because of changes to taxes, the 1% may not even be that much. It really is disgraceful.

Judging by some of the comments here, that admiration for nurses and doctors hasn't lasted very long. As was said at the time, claps come cheap.

Eloethan

People were virtually ordered to go out and clap - and what did that achieve, other than allow the government to somehow associate itself with the hard work of hospital and care staff.

I assume that because of changes to taxes, the 1% may not even be that much. It really is disgraceful.

Judging by some of the comments here, that admiration for nurses and doctors hasn't lasted very long. As was said at the time, claps come cheap.

Well said Eloethan....

A 1% increase is more than any of my family will get this year - apart from the one who works in the NHS of course.

The average pay rate for nurses here is $73,000 pa. Now I know why British trained nurses want to come here!

It’s not a race to the bottom- both police officers and nurses deserve a decent pay rise.

Maybe dock the pay of some of the politicians and funnel it through to nurses, police and other front line workers ?

What about all the other deserving key workers? They don’t even get the measly 1%!

vegansrock

It’s not a race to the bottom- both police officers and nurses deserve a decent pay rise.

Agree with you on that. Other key workers such as supermarket staff postmen etc yes deserve a rise but they were not exposed in close quarters to Covid positive patients.
It’s the hypocrisy that gets me, politicians out clapping and then coming up with 1%. That’s about £3.50 a week apparently. If politicians really meant the sentiment seemingly behind the clapping they could take a pay cut themselves to show willing

Completely agree with your last sentence Lucca One of my DIL's had to take a 20% paycut to keep her job, getting the same as the furloughed staff. Why couldn't politicians do the same?