A GOVERNMENT freeze on public sector pay has been slammed as a "kick in the teeth" to key workers by Dorset Trades Union Council.

In the Government's recent spending review statement, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that an estimated 1.3 million public sector workers will not see a pay rise during 2021/22 as part of the plan to help the UK's economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

But local campaigners have hit out at the pay cap and say it could be counterproductive if people continue to struggle to make ends meet "after a decade of cuts and below inflation pay increases."

Jenny Lennon-Wood, secretary of Dorset Trades Union Council, said: "For much of this year public sector workers have been at the front line of the battle against the covid crisis. Now, far from thanking them, the government intends to make them pay for the crisis by freezing their pay - amid increases in rent, mortgage, food and transport costs."

Meanwhile the UK's lowest-paid workers also faced a blow, after the Government reneged on its promise to increase the national minimum wage to £9.21 per hour next year. Instead, the minimum wage will only rise by 19p next year - although there is good news for younger workers, as the age bracket for adults has now been lowered from 25 to 23.

However the Trades Union Council has described the minimum wage increase as a pay cut in real terms.

Jenny Lennon-Wood added: "This penalises millions of other public service workers - carers, firefighters, teachers, police, benefits advisors, council workers and refuse collectors - the key workers we’ve been clapping as heroes."

She added: "The covid pandemic has caused a collapse in demand for goods and services because people have less money. Putting more money in workers’ pockets would increase spending power and help to lift the economy out of recession.

"The government has found billions to support business - huge contracts have been awarded to companies that failed to deliver effective equipment and services to combat covid. Now is the time to fund something that might actually work and keep our public services the best they can be for everyone.”

Dorset Trades Union Council said it will be working collectively with all local unions.

"Our message to the government is: do the decent thing - properly fund these services that we all hold dear and pay into as individuals through tax and National Insurance," Ms Lennon-Wood added.