PAY rises for public sector workers are almost double those in the private sector, figures show.
Staff employed by the state — such as civil servants, doctors and teachers — saw wages go up by 7.6 per cent.
That compares with a rise of 3.9 per cent in the struggling private sector between August and October this year.
Annual wage growth was also down to 4.6 per cent, a drop from 4.7 per cent in the previous three months.
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith said: “The only growth Labour are delivering is higher pay to their public sector buddies.
“Meanwhile the private sector struggles under higher taxes and more red tape.”
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s head of policy, said: “Under Labour, welfare spending and public sector pay are rocketing.
“Wages of those grafting in the private sector, who actually pay the taxes, going nowhere.”
It comes as resident doctors plan to walk out for five days, with the British Medical Association union demanding a further 26 per cent increase.
Treasury figures also show the number in the public sector hit 6.2million, up 7,000 in the three months to September.
Andrew Sentance, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, said: “Rising public sector employment and strong pay growth is crowding out private sector jobs.”
Last night the Office for Budget Responsibility warned Britain’s economy faces a “juddering explosion” if the Government remains on its debt path.
Prof David Miles said public finances projections were “very worrying”, warning that at current levels the ratio of debt to GDP would eventually surpass 300 per cent.
