Public sector unions are sounding the alarm over a potential new wave of strikes after what they’ve called an “offensive” pay offer from the government.
Ministers have proposed a 2.8% pay increase for key workers, including teachers, nurses, and civil servants, for the upcoming year.
But the offer, submitted to independent pay review bodies, has been swiftly rejected by unions, with leaders warning it could spark widespread walkouts across public services.
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This latest warning comes just months after the Labour government brokered inflation-busting pay deals to end two years of industrial action. Despite this, unions argue that the government is again underestimating the severity of ongoing pay erosion.
Professor Philip Banfield, chair of the British Medical Association, criticized the offer, saying it showed the government’s failure to grasp the deep-rooted issues left unresolved by two years of strikes.
He stressed that when doctors accepted their summer pay deal, it was with the understanding that pay would continue to be restored in future rounds to prevent further industrial action.
Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, voiced strong opposition, stating that the government’s offer equates to just £2 more a day for nurses—less than the cost of a coffee.
She called the offer “deeply offensive,” pointing to the crisis in the nursing sector, where fewer professionals are joining and more are leaving. “This is not just an issue of fair pay—it’s about structural reform to ensure the NHS can recover.”
Daniel Kebede, leader of the National Education Union, echoed these concerns, urging the government to abandon austerity measures and fully fund pay increases to recruit and retain teachers and school leaders.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, speaking on Sky News, blamed the current financial strain on the previous Conservative government’s £22 billion deficit but urged public sector workers to join in a “national effort” to support effective public service delivery.
As tensions mount, unions prepare for further action unless the government revises its approach to pay and reform.
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