Civil service pay ‘broken beyond repair’, say unions

The leaders of two unions have urged the government to reform the civil service’s ‘broken’ pay structure and create a system that would help recruitment and retention. 

In a letter to cabinet office minister Jeremy Quin, Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy and FDA general secretary Dave Penman say that the current civil service pay regime, which has remained “largely unreformed for three decades”, prevents individual employers from developing a strategic approach to pay and reward and hinders workforce strategies.

The letter says: “The last few months have been difficult, and shown beyond doubt that the current civil service pay system is broken beyond repair.

“The damage caused by the premature publication of the pay remit in April was mitigated by the addendum, as this uplifted the delegated award in the civil service to be more comparable to the wider public sector.

“However, we need to be clear with you, that we and our members viewed that as a start. The value of civil service pay has plummeted over the past decade, and this is having a devasting impact on the morale and motivation of civil servants and causing intense recruitment and retention pressures for employers.

“There is far more to be done to address the fall in real terms value of civil service pay and fundamental reform of the system for pay setting is urgently needed.”

The letter pushes for a pay structure that rewards talent, knowledge and expertise, so that the civil service can recruit and retain staff that can address the major challenges faced in public services.

It adds that the unions want to establish a dialogue with Quin to discuss a long-term pay strategy.

Prospect ended its coordinated nationwide industrial action after accepting the government’s pay deal which comprises a non-consolidated lump sum of £1500 for 2022-23 and an increase in the headline pay remit figure from 2% to 4.5%, with an extra 0.5% for the lowest paid, for 2023-24.

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The FDA cancelled a proposed ballot on industrial action after accepting the pay deal.

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