US planning pay freeze for government workers
President Obama proposed a two-year wage freeze for government employees in an effort to reduce the deficit and silence critics. The wage freeze would save about $2 billion a year and up to $28 billion over five years. The government has a budget deficit of over $1.3 trillion. The wage freeze would require the approval of Congress. The President has faced criticisms over his spending initiatives and is under pressure to reduce the deficit.
See "US planning pay freeze for government workers", BBC News Online, November 29, 2010