Executive’s £685m for public sector pay in Northern Ireland may not end industrial action, unions warn

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/executives-685m-for-public-sector-pay-in-northern-ireland-may-not-end-industrial-action-unions-warn/a84352828.html

A move by Stormont ministers to release £688million for outstanding public sector pay awards may not be enough to end industrial action on its own, it has been warned.
One union representing teachers and support staff indicated it would wait to see how much cash will be offered to its members before deciding.

Trade unions involving civil servants, health, teaching and transport have taken to picket lines to protest over the failure to make pay awards during Stormont’s power-sharing impasse.

But the restoration of the Executive earlier this month opened the way for a resolution to the disputes.

Many unions have suspended plans for further industrial action pending the outcome of pay talks with Stormont departments.

On Thursday departments were allocated more than £1 billion in total, with £380 million of non-pay related resource to be spent addressing immediate pressures and overspends. Ministers also agreed to distribute £83.5 million for capital spending.

The cash handout was agreed by ministers at a meeting of the Executive in Belfast following a proposal by Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald.

Individual departments have each been given an allocation of the £688m earmarked for pay, and will negotiate with relevant trade unions on the planned pay rises.

However, the funds allocated for addressing the delayed pay awards for public sector workers only covers the current financial year and it will be up to Executive ministers to budget for sustaining pay levels going forward.

One teaching union said it would wait to see how much was on the table before making a decision over industrial action.

Justin McCamphill of the NASUWT said: “While this is a significant amount of money, teachers and FE lecturers will want to see how much is going to be offered to them to settle their pay disputes before deciding if there is enough to prevent further industrial action.

“Teachers have not had a pay increase at all for three years while FE lecturer’s pay has fallen significantly behind that of their colleagues in schools. This is our number one concern going into any pay negotiations.”

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions welcomed the announcement, but said it wasn’t yet clear if the money would be enough.

Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy said: “Whether this funding allocation will be sufficient to settle all industrial disputes will become clear as negotiations between individual unions and relevant departments commence. We would strongly urge government departments to begin these negotiations immediately in order to avoid any further unnecessary disruption.

“While we welcome the prospect of settling disputes for this year, we are clear that public sector pay is not a one-off issue. Public services do not exist without the necessary funding for public sector pay. Paying staff must never again be seen as an optional extra.”

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Chronic low pay of school support staff has created severe staff shortages; workers are at breaking point and education services at risk of collapse. If this isn’t swiftly resolved further strike action will be inevitable.”

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly accompanied Ms Archibald as they announced the move to reporters inside Stormont Castle following the meeting.

“We were determined to make some early decision and I’m glad that we’ve been able to do that,” Ms O’Neill said.

“We had said that whenever we returned as an Executive that we would work towards making sure that workers had fair pay.

“So, I’m delighted to say that today the Executive, on the recommendation of the Finance Minister, has decided to allocate over £685 million which will allow conversations now to commence between employers and trade unions in relation to public sector pay.”

Ms O’Neill said ministers were at one in continuing to fight for more money from the Treasury.

Ms Little-Pengelly added: “The people of Northern Ireland deserve public services that work for them.

“We know that there’s big challenges within our public services but, of course, we must recognise that the people who deliver those public services, our public servants, deserve fair pay.

“And that’s why this step today of the allocation of £685 million for the purposes of negotiation, and hopefully quick settlement, is a really welcome one.”

Ms Archibald said she was “delighted” to secure Executive approval for the allocation.

“This is a really good day for our public sector workers who’ve had to wait too long for their pay award, for our health care workers, our teachers, our police, our civil servants, and it will enable negotiations to begin immediately with trade unions,” she said.

But SDLP Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole MLA said workers had already waited far too long for a pay rise.

He said: “Now that money has been allocated to resolve public sector pay disputes, we need to see Stormont Ministers act with speed to get trade unions around the table and reach an agreement that recognises the pressures facing staff and averts further industrial action.

“I note that there is a £12m shortfall in the money allocated for public sector pay, and I would urge the Executive to do everything within their power to ensure that every single worker gets the uplift they deserve. Nobody is immune to the financial pressures facing families here and nobody can be left behind.

“There is an urgent need for the Executive to get to grips with the financial picture facing them, the past week has already seen too much confusion and contradiction.”

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