COUNCILLORS backed a motion which aims to improve pay for public sector workers.

The motion was submitted by Thatto Heath councillor Richard McCauley at last Wednesday's meeting of the local authority. (January 17).

It states that for most non-teaching workers in local government and schools, pay, determined by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services, has fallen by 21 per cent "in real terms since 2010".

The motion added: "This council therefore calls for the immediate end of public sector pay restraint" and "welcomes the joint review of the NJC pay spine to secure the future of the pay structure and national bargaining".

It also states the council "further notes the drastic ongoing cuts to local government funding and calls on the government to provide all additional resources to ensure local authorities can fund the negotiated pay award for NJC employees and the pay spine review".

The council has resolved to write to the Local Government Association, asking it to make urgent representations to government to fund the NJC negotiated pay award and pay spine review, and to the Prime Minister and Chancellor seeking additional resources needed to fund the negotiated pay award.

It will also write to NJC union representatives "to convey support for the negotiated pay award and the pay spine review subject to the government funding in full the settlement".

At the meeting, Cllr McCauley added: "This motion is calling for fairness for our workers, people who are fully entitled. Not only have their wages decreased 21 per cent but they're doing more work for that.

"It's absolutely terrible. What we're calling for is for the government to fully fund that negotiated pay rise otherwise workers will be paying for that rise with their own jobs because they will have to make further cuts to cover it."

Several councillors spoke out in favour of the motion at the town hall meeting, which was seconded by Haydock councillor Martin Bond.

Council leader Barrie Grunewald said: "It's time that our workforce received a decent pay rise. My colleague said at a recent cabinet meeting the government give with one hand and take away with two."

The two Conservative councillors present at the meeting abstained from the vote.

Cllr Rob Reynolds, of Rainford, said: "It is important to remember the context. At the end of the last financial year, the UK national debt was £1.7tr and the government borrowed £45.5bn, still an eye-watering amount.

"We have to deal with the deficit eventually and the longer we leave it, the worse it will be for everyone."

He added: "I will not vote against the motion but this has to be done so that it minimises the risk of rising inflation."