Napo’s National Executive Committee, meeting today, unanimously passed an emergency motion calling for an immediate campaign to break the government freeze on public sector pay.

The motion reads:

This NEC condemns the Tory government’s announcement to introduce a public sector pay freeze on 5.4 million workers.

The government position is a direct insult to the heroic work and service our members have continued to provide throughout the pandemic.

A pay freeze will see a continued fall in the living standards of our members who have suffered a decade and more of attacks on their pay.

Additionally, a pay freeze will further harm the vital services our members provide as pay remains behind comparable professions and leaves recruitment and retention at serious risk.

This NEC agrees to:

Launch an immediate campaign to break the pay freeze.

Encourage members to organise local protests opposing the pay freeze [where possible in line with Covid regulations] and ask Napo officials to help and facilitate these protests.

Begin a consultation with members to seek to win support for a ballot for industrial action, including a national all-member online protest.

Approach sister public sector trade unions and the TUC for a joint campaign to oppose the pay freeze.

Call on the general secretary to ask for an emergency meeting of the public services committee of the TUC with a view to organising a cross union campaign to defeat the attack.