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Monday, 23 November 2009

Union backs civil service £150m deal

Trade union NIPSA has recommended its members accept a £150m deal to end a long-running civil service pay dispute.

Up to 13,000 low paid mainly female staff would benefit from back pay, plus an annual increase in the civil service salary bill of between £20m and £25m.

Nipsa met to discuss the offer before recommending the deal to its members, who will now vote on the package.

A resolution of the long-running issue would pre-empt more than 5,000 pay claims pending with industrial tribunals.

Nipsa's general secretary John Corey said: "After years of pressing for equal pay failures in the Northern Ireland Civil Service to be addressed we welcome this offer as a significant step forward."

"We are pleased that the Executive Ministers recognised the validity of Nipsa's long-standing claims for equal pay for thousands of hard working low paid civil servants who provide public services day and daily."

A spokesman for the Department of Finance and Personnel would only confirm a written offer had been passed to Nipsa on Monday.

It is understood the offer includes a one-off settlement payment worth £125m-£140m to deal with the issue of back-pay.

The proposal also allows for an annual increase of £26m to the Civil Service paybill with effect from February 2009.

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17 Comments

At 15:13 on 25 November 2009, paul simpson wrote:

To Doirecormac and Eugene Read NIPSA's website today 25th. They have issued a futher detailed bulletin B/27/09 on the nxt steps towards voting on the deal. stop whinging.

At 23:05 on 24 November 2009, bobbit the happy hobbit wrote:

bah humbug cormac,i know it must really annoy you that some people are finally getting their due after years of low pay, Once again EO2s were never supposed to be part of this dispute and the fact you are still earning more and have gotten 1700 quid should mean something but then maybe all EO2 are totally heartless,shame it annoys you that hardworking AOs are getting anywhere near you now in terms of pay and recognition, oh yeah merry christmas to all

At 21:46 on 24 November 2009, doirecormac wrote:

To Eugene, I was thinking this myself! NIPSA issued a bulletin AFTER management side had issued theirs and said a further bulletin would issue 'tomorrow' - well, 'tomorrow' has been and gone and no bulletin. I think that NIPSA have just realised what a huge mistake they made by lumping the EOII 'offer' with the AAs and AOs. Remember, they had told us that the 3 claims were all separate claims and would be treated separately. They should have accepted the offer for the AAs and AOs (who deserve their money) and told management side that they could not accept the terms on offer for the EOIIs and offered them to either continue negotiations separately on this issue or disengage on that sole issue and proceed with the tribunal claim for the EOIIs. NIPSA, there are a lot of angry people out there and by reading comments on this forum and other forums you can see that staff are now turning against each other - another bouns for the management side - divide and conquer.

At 20:46 on 24 November 2009, Eugene wrote:

Wheres the communication from NIPSA recommending the offer ??

At 18:48 on 24 November 2009, Smick wrote:

What are youse gurning about. Youse will get a quare swall out of it.

At 13:15 on 24 November 2009, disgruntled civil servant wrote:

how can this be fair? there are civil servants that have worked over 30 years, approx 10 years at AA, 10 at AO and 10 at EO11, and all they are entitled to £1700?? madness!! they were under payed for 20 odd years! you are also penalised if you went for promotion during that period as you would have been staying at your lower grade, losing out on money because you tried to better your situation? madness again!! THEN there's the management side threat of if you dont take the money, you cannot bring forward a tribunal claim with the help of NIPSA. they are backing us into the corner that we can get out... if 51% say yes to the deal then they are screwing over their colleagues AND THEMSELVES. THINK AGAIN PEOPLE!!!

At 12:59 on 24 November 2009, Carol wrote:

I think its even more shocking that NDPB employees on the same pay scales & who have fought as vigorously as civil servants for the equal pay to be progressed have now been told that they have no claim, so we will continue to be underpaid......ahame on you NIPSA for not fighting for all underpaid workers