Lower paid staff had pay rises? Not in the council I work for. At least not for the last 3 years.   My council opted out of the cost of living pay for employees earning under £21,000. The performance pay contract for each employee goes through panel to decide if you fully met or exceeded objectives. Fully met gets you no increase in pay. Exceeds does. Guess what level was awarded fully met and what level received exceeds. Naturally those highest up in the organisation got their Exceeds on the backs of the staff who actually do the work.
And our councillors increased their pay last year, just before they approved the plan to dismantle as much non-statutory service as they can. But then it is almost wholly conservative council.
I should have gone out to the private sector from the start. I would have made more money. So much for wanting to be involved in meaningful work in public services. I am getting nothing but grief for it now and soon they will raid my gold plated pension, all £2450 of it, if I live long enough to be able to afford to retire.