Stuff the pay rise; I'm happy to have a job in this climate but anything extra will be a bonus. My main problem is that we are the only(?) public sector workers who have their increase in charges announced along with pay. What other landlord would get away with less than 1 month's notice of increases in rent? I want to know how little my pay rise is (below inflation), how much the charges have increased by (above inflation) and how much I am then out of pocket by for the next year or so.
Time for us all to write to our MPs; just concentrate on the charges aspect rather than pay.