This week, the TUC and its affiliated unions are calling on the Government to put a stop to the long-standing pay restrictions imposed on public sector workers since 2010.

Throughout the week in the North West, events and demonstrations will be held outside public service buildings with workers from the sector, local MPs and trade unionists.

Since 2010, the Government has frozen public sector workers’ pay or given them a settlement below rising inflation leaving public servants such as nurses, teachers and prison officers really feeling the squeeze in their pay.

The average North West public sector worker now earns £2,695 less per year than if their pay had risen in line with inflation (CPI).

Recent TUC analysis shows that holding down public servants’ pay reduced spending power in the North West by £7billion since 2010.

Peter Dowd MP said: "Unions play a vital role in supporting working people. Its unions that deliver better pay for workers, as well as improve conditions in the work place. This week has been important in highlighting the damaging effect this Government’s public sector pay cap is having on working people, especially in areas like Bootle which has a high number of public sector workers. I along with Unions and labour colleagues in parliament will continue to be a force for change, by keeping the pressure on the Government to scrap the cap on public sector workers.”

TUC North West Regional Secretary Lynn Collins said: "For the last 7 years, the government has artificially held down public sector workers’ pay. Rents and bills keep rising, but hardworking public servants aren’t getting the pay rise they’ve earned.

“We’re seeing the pay restrictions still hammering hard on public servants pay packets with some pushed into poverty and forced into relying on foodbanks to get by. A properly funded pay rise is not unaffordable. It’s about time the government ended the real terms pay cuts for all public sector workers.”