Variable pay rates for NHS staff

 Before I offer my thoughts for your readers consideration, I should declare my interest. I am an NHS employee who will, I have no doubt, qualify for a Lansley pay cut. Naturally I'm not happy at the prospect given that I am now into a third consecutive year without a payrise and having to cope with the same increased living costs as other readers. 
                        Since the late 70's successive governments have employed divide and conquer tactics as a means of imposing economic policy on UK citizens, have Echo readers considered who might be in the firing line after healthcare staff? What about Teachers, Police, Fire and Ambulance workers? Why shouldn't all public sector workers be paid less than their counterparts in the south of the country? 
                        If the coalition, and frankly anyone, believes such a move will help our nation tackle the deficit they are gravely mistaken.
                        I suggest that, if imposed, several thousand public sector workers in our regoin will be earning less and therefore paying less tax because, despite what government ministers would have people believe, public sector workers, like most of us, pay taxes. Those same people will have less money to spend in the local economy, possibly causing job losses. That's possibly less money spent locally on leisure activities, luxury items, eating out etc. Unless of course they increase personal debt by using credit cards in which case even more money deserts the local economy because credit accrues interest which has to be paid for with real money from a real wage to financial institutions who take that money, their profits, offshore to avoid paying tax.
                         Perhaps private firms might want to move into the area. After all, the average wage will be lower than elsewhere so labour must be cheaper to come by and employers can pay workers even less. Lower paid jobs are on offer then but those workers still can't get on the property ladder or afford little luxuries between paydays, they still have bills to pay which account for a larger chunk of a smaller wage. Even less money in the local economy then, maybe even more job losses? Why give workers a raise? The public sector workers don't get one! Still there's always credit cards...... you know where I'm going with this!
                         The notion that regional pay rates will help our economy is false. This policy will serve only to make our local economy weaker, increase the wealth inequality gap and exacerbate the problems that already exist because of it.
                          The Health Secretary has already said that only those appointed to implement his health reforms will be exempt from pay cuts. I wonder, in Mr Cameron's "Big Society", as "We're all in this together", will our local Conservative M.P's and the great and good of the public sector be taking a pay cut too ?