Women lose out in the slasher wars
So who will pay for the mainly male bankers’ catastrophic errors? The women.
The public sector pay freeze, the biggest contributor to the government money chest announced by George Osborne today, hits women considerably more than men.
The public sector employment profile is about 75 per cent female. Something like 80 per cent of NHS staff are women, 70 per cent of teaching staff.
These legions of women workers face a freeze in a year when RPI is forecast to be between 2.5 to 3 per cent.
As for the rest of George Osborne’s speech, you’re very struck as you try to edit it how he wraps every sacrifice in a softer commitment.
The pension age hike is linked with the plan to raise the basic state pension in line with earnings.
The public sector pay freeze is sugared with a suggestion of one of those deals like Honda did with its workers earlier this year – “a public sector pay freeze… in order to protect the jobs of 100,000 people working in frontline public services.”
But rum that one as they’re not offering a Honda-style deal at all. Public sector workers who endure the pain get no job security attached.
Interesting that Labour critics are attacking the announcements as too mild, not cutting enough.
Slasher wars have truly started.
– Related: Tories plan a cull of poorly performing teachers
Counting the cost of Brown’s spending promises
– On Thursday the Channel 4 News website will be providing extended live coverage of David Cameron’s speech to the Conservative conference, including film extracts, expert analysis and Twitter commentary. To watch and contribute, go to www.channel4.com/news from midday on 8 October.