LAST Friday, June 23, was European public services day.

A number of trade unions in Britain marked this occasion by calling for an end to the public sector pay cap.

The Labour Party has now raised this issue in Parliament in its amendment to the Queen’s Speech.

With inflation approaching three per cent, this one per cent pay cap imposed by the Government places intense pressure on the household budgets of thousands of public workers in York.

These public workers are York’s everyday heroes.

They include the health and care professionals who hold our hands from cradle to grave.

The emergency responders who run towards danger as the rest of us run away from it.

The environmental teams who restore order to our city streets after the legions of weekend partygoers have retreated.

Labour’s recent general election manifesto recognised our everyday heroes.

It promised to invest in public services and to end the public sector pay cap.

The minority government has made no such commitment, choosing to invest in backroom political deals instead of public service ideals.

David O’Brien, Cameron Grove, York