Real-terms pay in UK sees fastest drop for 20 years

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - Average real-terms wages in Britain declined 2.6% in the three months to November, among the largest falls in growth since 2001, according to official data released on Tuesday.

Amid a burgeoning cost of living crisis, public sector pay deals continue to lag behind the private sector, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed.

“In real terms (adjusted for inflation) over the year, total and regular pay both fell by 2.6%. This is slightly smaller than the record fall in real regular pay we saw in April to June 2022 (3.0%), but still remains among the largest falls in growth since comparable records began in 2001,” read an ONS statement.

Britain has been rocked by a wave of industrial action in various public sectors by employees demanding better pay and working conditions.

According to the British Medical Association (BMA), junior doctors in England have suffered real-term wage cuts for 15 years, resulting in a 26.1% decline in pay.

Junior doctors are also planning to stage a strike, with a recent BMA survey showing that 65% of them are actively considering leaving their jobs.

This is also the case for several other professions in the UK.

In Scotland, salaries of teachers have dropped 25% since 2008, according to the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union, which is currently pushing for a 10% increase in wages.

The UK government has been reluctant in negotiations and plans to impose restrictions on industrial action in some sectors.