NHS staff, teachers and public sector workers in Wales will receive pay rises of between 5% and 6% in 2024-2025.
The pay awards will impact hundreds of thousands of public sector workers across Wales.
The Welsh government accepted the pay recommendations from independent pay review bodies in full, with teachers and NHS staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions set to receive a 5.5% increase. Doctors and dentists, including GPs and salaried GPs, will receive a 6% rise, with an additional £1,000 for junior doctors.
Civil servants and staff at other public bodies, including Natural Resources Wales and the Development Bank of Wales, will receive an average 5% rise.
Other parts of the Welsh public sector, including local government staff, fire and rescue services and social care, are not covered by the independent pay review bodies and are negotiated separately.
Eluned Morgan, first minister of Wales, said: “People across Wales have told us over the summer that public sector workers are the backbone of the services we all rely on, from the nurses in our NHS to teachers in classrooms across Wales. They want them to be fairly rewarded for the vital work they do. These pay awards reflect how we value them and respect their hard work. But the public has also been clear they want to see improvements in public services, especially in the NHS and education.”
Julie Richards, director for Wales at Royal College of Midwives, added: “In our evidence to the Pay Review Body, we called for a pay increase, consolidated across the board. We hope that the announcement is the beginning of much-needed work to improve the pay, terms and conditions of our members in Wales. We must also tackle the issues within the Agenda for Change pay system to ensure it’s a fair pay system for all and that equal pay is given to work of equal value.”
