Senior reward adviser at the CIPD Charles Cotton explores how public sector pay rises may impact recruitment and retention, strike action, and productivity Public sector workers are set to see big pay rises this year. Most NHS workers, police officers, teachers, civil servants, and members of the armed forces will receive above-inflation wage rises, ranging between 4.75% and 6%. Junior doctors, who have staged a recent series of strikes over pay, will get a 22.3% salary rise spread over two years.