Union urges civil servants to reject “poor” States pay offer

Tuesday 21 August 2018

A major civil service union hit out at the States for offering a below-inflation pay rise to employees including social workers, radiographers and teaching assistants at the same time as hiring a string of highly-paid executives, as it launched its ballot on the controversial pay offer to 3,500 employees today.

Child welfare professionals are also amongst those in the ‘Civil Servants’ pay category being urged to vote against a 4.1% rise in their salary over the next two years by trade unions.

They were one of six groups to have been offered a new two-year pay deal earlier this month following months of fraught negotiations with the States – but the only ones with an offer behind recent cost of living rises.

“The latest pay offer… is lowest of those offered to any group of States employees and represents a further degradation of the standard of living for our members and their families on top of the recent years where below Cost of Living awards have been made. The latest Cost of Living figure shows this is running at 4.5% with an increase of 3% on food alone,” Tom Quinn, Chief Executive of civil service union Prospect, told Express.

“The current offer does nothing to counter the already low morale amongst Civil Service staff who continue to receive a lack of respect from their employer which we assumed was a trait of the previous regime and would not be repeated by the current incumbent.”

Speaking as the pay offer was unveiled, Assistant Chief Minister Constable Chris Taylor described the increases – set to cost £33.6million over two years on top of the current £359million States pay budget - as “the most that we can afford.”

Pictured: The latest pay deal offered to States employees.

“While we fully recognise the need to help employees with the rising cost of living, we also recognise our duty to islanders to contain the cost of the public sector. These pay offers are worth the equivalent of £700 from every taxpaying Jersey household and business,” he said.

Prospect said that its members has been further disheartened that their “poor pay offer” had come amid mass recruitment of Director Generals and executive staff on top-tier salaries by new States Chief Executive Charlie Parker.

“His rationale is that you need to pay that cash to attract the talent. We’re all for paying talent, but the current talent seems the same as the old talent (same ideas) and the plans for reform are based on antique job evaluation systems that are totally outsourced, no visibility for staff, and very expensive,” Mr Quinn said. 

Pictured: Prospect members had hoped new States Chief Charlie Parker would be different to the "previous regime", but said that they feel they still "receive a lack of respect."

He added that there was a growing unease over attempts to make the States of Jersey morel like the UK, which he said “shows a complete lack of understanding that Jersey is not a local council”, and that consultants may be promised full-time posts “at the expense of current staff” despite not having relevant experience.

Launched today, the ballot will continue until 11 September, with a result expected by 15 September. 

If it is rejected, strike action could follow.