Rishi Sunak has doubled down on plans to give NHS heroes a real terms pay cut despite growing public anger.
The Chancellor claimed the 1% pay offer for nurses was “proportionate, fair and reasonable” even though it means less money for those on the frontline.
The Government has been criticised for capping pay - saying it is all it can afford - while committing huge sums to vanity projects.
Senior Tory MPs have publicly urged ministers to U-turn following a furious backlash from nurses, doctors and health unions.
But Mr Sunak told the Commons Treasury Committee: “For a matter of fairness and also to protect people’s jobs in the public sector we set out a targeted approach to public-sector pay which we thought was proportionate, fair and reasonable.”
Trade unions organised a slow hand clap to oppose the paltry 1% pay proposal on doorsteps and balconies to take place at 8pm tonight.
The Royal College of Nursing said it was preparing for strike action in protest at the pay rise.
It has set up a £35 million industrial action fund to support workers through a loss of earnings, should its members decide to strike.
The Unite union also said it would not rule out asking members about potential strike action.
Keir Starmer, whose mum and sister were nurses, said it was “morally wrong” of the Prime Minister to cut nurses’ pay.
Labour ’s leader has called for them to get at least 2.1% - but stopped short of demands for a higher pay boost from unions.
Asked by the Mirror if he would back the RCN’s 12.5% demand, he said: “The rise for the NHS front line should be above inflation, a real rise.
“I think the starting point should be the 2.1% that was promised - and of course budgeted for - to feed into an independent process.
“Our frontline NHS deserve a fair pay rise and that should be the starting point, not the 1% which of course is a real terms cut.”
Mr Starmer said that frontline staff did not want to go on strike, when asked if he would back industrial action.
“I support them in their entitlement to a fair wage rise after what they’ve been through,” he said.
“They don’t want to go on strike. It’s the Prime Minister who is causing this dispute and it’s the Prime Minister that can sort it out.”
A third of NHS workers were already considering leaving their jobs before the winter Covid-19 surge -prior to the current pay row.
The annual NHS Staff Survey for England includes responses almost 600,000 NHS workers and raises fears of a staff exodus after the pandemic.
It found 34% were thinking of leaving their job and 18% were thinking of quitting the NHS entirely.
Many were considering retiring, taking a career break, going private or leaving healthcare altogether.
Boris Johnson has repeatedly argued that NHS staff want more nurses, rather than a payrise, when asked about his plans.
The survey, conducted from October to November 2020, reflects experiences through the first wave of the Covid pandemic.
Some 44% of NHS staff reported feeling unwell due to work related stress in the last 12 months, up from 40% the previous year.
Among frontline staff 46.6% reported stress compared which was 5% up on the previous year.
UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “The clear message is health workers – including nurses, porters and healthcare assistants – are fed up with unfair pay.
“The insulting wage rise proposal from the chancellor and prime minister has made this so much worse.
“It’s a major concern that job stress is making NHS staff physically and mentally ill. This has grave and lasting consequences for those affected and for the health service too.”
Four in ten NHS workers do not feel there are enough staff at their organisation for them to do their job properly.
Just 36.7% of staff were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their pay, down from 38%.
A petition calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS staff has quickly gained half a million signatures.
Nurse Matthew Tovey set up the online petition in Change.uk backing unions’ calls for a “restoration” pay rise after a decade of real terms cuts.
The Government has proposed a 1% pay rise despite inflation predicted to be between 1.5% and 2% later this year.
Labour say NHS workers are already £800 worse off than when the Tories came to power after years of below-inflation settlements.
Mr Tovey said: “Throughout the pandemic, thousands of NHS workers have been working around the clock, putting their lives at risk to protect the public. Yet the average nurse in the UK has lost 20% of their income the last 10 years.
“Clapping for NHS staff is a nice gesture - but it doesn’t pay the bills.
