Nope - wholly unfit for purpose as an independent pay review body, and if memory serves when they have tried to flex their muscle the government either watered it down - 2.9% recommendation delivered as 2% + non-consolidated one off bonus or didn’t renew the Chairman’s tenure - X-Factor.
What we are seeing at the moment though is a compounding of issues. The current cost of living is the proximal factor, but the real underlying issue is the Tories’ desire to pay the absolute minimum possible to the public sector since 2010, leading to structural issues which have now gone symptomatic. As a strategy, it was always going to run out of road eventually, and so it has, and the argument of it’s necessary to protect the public purse or curb inflation … well how did that go Mr Sunak?
As for incremental pay giving us a boost - I hope folk realise that’s just a method of underpaying you for what the job is worth. The actual rate for the rank is the top band, but they argue you don’t have the knowledge or experience on promotion and in your early years in rank to warrant that - hence mark time on promotion. But in expecting you to do the duties of the rank - they don’t change just because you’re year 1 or 2 in rank - it just means you’re underpaid. Heads I win, tails you lose.
And none of this is helped by a delusional Career Management organisation who genuinely think they are doing well. It’s no wonder that so many are, if not walking, are fluffing CVs and packing parachutes.
Last edited by Melchett01; 24th Dec 2022 at 11:42.