WELSH Assembly members were urged yesterday to a reject the £10,000 pay rise on offer from an independent pay panel. 

AMs stand to pocket £64,000-a-year — up from £54,360-a-year — if the Assembly’s renumeration board’s proposals are accepted.

Board chairman Sandy Blair said he hoped the public would “understand this is for the benefit of Wales.”

But Unison Cymru said the 18 per cent pay hike would be “unjust” given Welsh health workers did not even get a 1 per cent pay rise this year. 

“We are urging AMs to reject the pay recommendation,” said Unison Cymru secretary Margaret Thomas.

“Our members deserve to be paid fairly for the work that they do and until this can be achieved, it would be unjust for AMs to accept a pay increase, especially of this magnitude.”

Unison and other unions have an opportunity to make their opposition to the rise clear in the public consultation that has begun.