See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 15:40 BST, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 16:28 BST, 21 July 2026
Unions have seized on Andy Burnham's arrival to threaten NHS and schools strikes unless there are better pay deals. The BMA urged new Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to 'reset relations' by boosting wages, pointing to disputes with consultants and resident doctors.Meanwhile, the National Education Union said it was balloting for industrial action over an above-inflation 3.5 per cent pay offer for this year.General secretary Daniel Kebede demanded the incoming Secretary of State, Lucy Powell, ditches 'austerity' to provide more funding.The tough messages were delivered as official figures showed state workers' salaries continuing to rise faster than their private sector counterparts. Regular pay was going up by 2.9 per cent annually in the private sphere between March and May - compared to 5.5 per cent in the public sector.With headline CPI inflation averaging 3 per cent a year over the three months that meant non-state workers were getting worse off. The BMA urged new Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to 'reset relations' by boosting wages, pointing to disputes with consultants and resident doctorsNEU general secretary Daniel Kebede demanded the incoming Secretary of State, Lucy Powell, ditches 'austerity' to provide more funding
