UK PM candidate Liz Truss U-turns on public sector pay plan

London, Jul 2 (Prensa Latina) British Foreign Minister Liz Truss, the front-runner to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, was forced to backtrack on one of her most striking pledges to save billions of pounds a year in government spending by cutting the pay of public sector workers.

August 2, 2022
17:20

The PM candidate said late on Monday that as part of the “war against waste” she would introduce regional pay boards rather than having a national pay agreement, tailoring pay to the local cost of living.

Truss assured her new measure would save up to £8.8 million (about $10.8 million) in wages, but her plan was not even supported by Conservatives, and she had to scrap it less than 24 hours later being announced.

The Unions, on the other hand, said teachers, nurses and police officers from the poorest regions of the country would have a salary disadvantage compared to their colleagues outside south-east England.

Opposition Labor Party pointed out that Truss´ proposal revealed her priority as prime minister would be to cut wage packages for the working class.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, also took advantage of the change in direction given by Truss to question her competence to rule the country.

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