British public-sector health workers should receive an annual pay rise of 4-5% this year, a government advisory body plans to recommend, according to a report in the Guardian newspaper on Saturday.
Surging consumer price inflation, which hit a 40-year high of 9.1% in May, means workers are pushing for bigger than normal pay rises, and there have been widespread strikes in Britain's privately operated rail industry over the past week.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said pay restraint in the public sector is needed to save money and reduce the risk of a longer-term inflationary spiral.
Average pay excluding bonuses in the public sector in the three months to April was up by an annual 1.8%, compared with 4.8% in the private sector, official figures show.
The Guardian said the National Health Service Pay Review Body - a panel that makes annual pay recommendations to the government - would recommend an increase of "somewhere between 4% and 5%".
The body, which normally makes its annual recommendation in July, did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Last year it proposed a 3% pay rise, which the government accepted.
Its recommendations cover most staff other than doctors, dentists and senior managers in Britain's National Health Service, totalling almost 1.5 million workers.
In a submission to the review body in February, the health ministry said it had a fixed budget to last until 2025, and that there were "stark trade-offs between pay and other NHS spending" such as staffing levels and medical equipment.
(Reuters)
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)