West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed the news that public sector workers will be getting a pay boost as the country recovers from the coronavirus crisis.

Almost 900,000 workers including doctors, teachers and police officers, will see above inflation pay rises, rewarding them for their heroic work during the global pandemic.

More than 1 million NHS workers are already benefitting from a three year pay deal agreed in 2018 under which the starting pay for a newly-qualified nurse has increased by over 12 per cent since since 2017.

This means nurses who are still moving up their pay structures will receive an average 4.4 per cent rise this year.

Harriett commented: “Public sector workers have been our national heroes, ensuring that services continued to run during this global pandemic, as it is right that we reward them with an above-inflation pay boost.

“Nurses are already benefitting from their own annual pay increase deal and the Education Secretary has confirmed that teachers pay will also rise well above inflation.

“We have still got a long way to go as we work together to fight this terrible virus but now is the moment to reward our hard-working public sector workers for their immense efforts this year.

“As we work towards re-starting the economy and unlocking more and more businesses and activities, I hope that our public sector staff will be able to take some time to enjoy summer safely.”