PRESS RELEASE : Pay disputes must be resolved at the negotiating table, says TUC [January 2023]

The press release issued by the TUC on 17 January 2023.

Commenting on today’s (Tuesday) labour market figures, which show real wages falling at an annual rate of 3.8% in November (on CPI measure), TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Workers have been losing hundreds of pounds from their annual pay over the last year. But in the public sector, Conservative ministers are dragging their heels on meaningful negotiations. That’s why staff have had no choice but to use their right to strike to defend their pay.

“The Conservative government will not resolve pay disputes by rushing in new laws that attack the right to strike. The best way to settle disputes is around the negotiating table – and with credible pay offers that protect workers from rising prices.”