UK nurses bid for 3.9% salary rise in latest push against pay cap

LONDON - Nurses, midwives and cleanersworking in Britain's publicly-funded National Health Service(NHS) called on ministers to boost their salaries by 3.9percent, in the latest push against a government-imposed cap onpay rises.

Public-sector pay was frozen for all but the lowest earnersin 2010 and increases were limited to 1 percent a year from 2013whilst inflation currently stands at 2.9 percent, having risensince last year's Brexit vote.

Prime Minister Theresa May has been under increasingpressure to end the cap since her party lost its parliamentarymajority in a snap election in June. Earlier this week, thegovernment said it would boost pay for police and prisonofficers.

On Friday, fourteen unions wrote to finance minister PhilipHammond asking for a 3.9 percent pay rise and a further 800pounds ($1,075) to reflect lost spending power over the lastseven years of pay restraint.

"Health workers have gone without a proper pay rise for fartoo long. Their wages continue to fall behind inflation as foodand fuel bills, housing and transport costs rise,” said the headof health at trade union UNISON Sara Gorton.

"NHS staff and their families need a pay award that stopsthe rot and starts to restore some of the earning that have beenmissing out on," she said.