New figures out this week prove that it is an “urban myth” that public sector workers are having an easy ride compared to those in the private sector.
The people at the top of society advocating a pay freeze for public sector workers claim that this has to be done because wages in the private sector are falling dramatically.
It is only fair, they say, that workers in the public sector take some of the pain.
Politicians, bosses and media pundits are trying to create a mythical divide between public sector workers – with their supposed “gold-plated” pay and pensions – and put upon private sector workers, struggling to survive.
But the people who deliver vital public services – such as nurses, refuse workers, firefighters and millions of others – face low pay and long hours, just like their colleagues in the private sector.
And if the government gets away with cutting the wages of these workers, it will embolden private bosses to increase attacks in that sector.
It is clear that whoever wins the next general election intends to carry out a bonfire of public services. Unions need to fight now to defend the services that millions of people rely on, especially during a deep economic crisis.
Full text here: http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=18425
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