The Government has softened its stance on restraining public sector pay following two meetings with furious unions. It will now review the policy a year earlier and will consider cost-of-living increases for public servants on moderate incomes. Public Services Minister Chris Hipkins said this was not a backdown and the Government had always been happy to discuss cost-of-living increases. But this doesn’t match his statement last week that public servants earning between $60,000 and $100,000 could only expect pay increases in “special circumstances” with the permission of the Public Service Commission. ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff Education Minister Chris Hipkins said he was not concerned about thousands of leftover lunches, saying schools went to great lengths to ensure they weren’t wasted (file photo).