Staff who work at Cambridgeshire County Council will only get a one per cent pay increase this year - below the level of inflation.

The increase is in line with national public sector pay negotiations that are being agreed for public service workers across the UK.

Staff have already had a three year pay freeze and last year saw rank and file staff get a one per cent increase with managers and senior managers receiving either 0.8 per cent or 0.5 per cent.

Chairman of the Staffing and Appeals Committee, Cambridgeshire county councillor Joshua Schumann, said: “This one per cent award reflects the national pay negotiations and is a below inflation increase follows a long period of pay freezes.

“With £31 million in savings to be found next year by the County Council the committee debated long and hard whether it was right to support this increase. “This award still means in real terms a pay reduction for our staff who are delivering challenging and difficult frontline services with less and less resources.

“We are truly grateful for their commitment and understanding during these tough times.“