Trade unions welcome head of civil service’s plea for funds for pay awards

Trade unions have welcomed an intervention by the head of Northern Ireland’s civil service asking the Secretary of State to release funds to make pay awards to public sector workers.

Jayne Brady penned a letter to Chris Heaton-Harris on Monday ahead of a major planned strike by public sector workers on Thursday over pay.

An estimated 170,000 public servants in 15 trade unions across many sectors including health, education and civil servants are set to take part in what is expected to be the largest strike seen in Northern Ireland in recent history.

Police staff and Roads Service staff responsible for gritting the roads as temperatures plunge are also set to be involved in the walkouts.

While the UK Government offered a £3.3 billion package to stabilise finances in Northern Ireland, including £600 million to settle public sector pay claims, it will not be made available until the Stormont Assembly is restored.

Ms Brady told Mr Heaton-Harris that this “represents one of the last opportunities to avert the strike action planned for this week”.

“This Thursday will represent the single biggest day of industrial action in a generation, reflecting the strength of feeling and deteriorating, and frankly untenable, position we are now in,” she said.

She said urgent action is required to “address unacceptable public sector pay disparity”, estimated at £634 million to maintain “broad parity” between Northern Ireland civil servants and their colleagues in Great Britain.

The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Union (NIC-ICTU) welcomed the letter and called for an immediate budget allocation.

“This has been the position of the trade union movement from the beginning of this dispute. It is also the position of every political party In Northern Ireland,” they said in a statement.

“In response to this, Chris Heaton-Harris continues to parrot the same discredited line he has held throughout this crisis, that fair pay for public servants is not his responsibility, but that of a restored NI Executive.

“The secretary of state’s strategy has clearly failed and it has failed the people of Northern Ireland. It is long past time that this calamitous fiasco was brought to an end.”

They added: “The trade union movement is clear, the disruption of industrial action this Thursday can be averted. If the money is made available and negotiations begin, we stand ready to engage.”

A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said: “It’s disappointing to see leaked correspondence at this sensitive time. Our absolute priority and full focus is to see a restored executive delivering for people and workers in Northern Ireland.

“We have offered a fair and generous package worth £3 billion, which will help a restored executive address a range of pressing issues in the round, from public sector pay to support with ensuring sustainable public services.

“This offer is on the table for parties to take forward at pace.”