Ministers offer £1,500 payout to every civil servant to end strikes

‘This is fair to the taxpayer and a recognition of the financial pressures civil servants have faced’

THE Government has offered every civil servant a lump sum of £1,500 as part of a deal to end a long-running pay dispute.

Union officials welcomed the offer, which would cost taxpayers millions of pounds, and said they would consult with members before deciding whether to call off planned strikes.

The Cabinet Office confirmed that civil servants below senior grades will be offered the payment for 2022/23.

There will also be a moratorium on changes to the civil service compensation scheme and ministers have agreed to try to avoid compulsory redundancies, union negotiators said.

Mike Clancy general secretary of Prospect, said: “We welcome this offer by the Government which in principle addresses the three issues at the heart of this dispute.

“For too long they have been at the back of the queue when it comes to public sector pay, and throughout this dispute we have been fighting for a deal comparable with that in the rest of the public sector. Industrial action taken by union members has been critical in getting to this point. We will now consult our public service representatives on the substance of the offer and formally respond to the Government.”

The Public and Commercial Service (PCS) union said the breakthrough came at yesterday morning’s meeting of the unions and the Cabinet Office.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union which represents senior civil service managers and professionals, said: “The threat of industrial action must always be a last resort and the FDA’s decision to ballot for national industrial action over pay for the first time in 40 years was not taken lightly.

“It was intended to send a clear message to the Government that enough was enough as they had failed to demonstrate that they valued the civil service equally with the rest of the public sector. This new pay deal represents a clear demonstration that this message has now been heard.

“For the first time in many years, we have reached a tangible, positive outcome for the civil service which compares well with the rest of the public sector.”

The executives of the FDA and the PCS will meet next week to consider their response.

Civil servants have been involved in a series of strikes for months.

Jeremy Quin, minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “We are determined that civil servants are rewarded fairly for the vital work they do across the country in delivering the Government’s agenda and providing services to the general public.

“I am pleased with the constructive engagement we have had with civil service trade unions, and to be announcing that departments will be allowed to make a £1,500 payment to every member of staff at Grade 6 and below.

“This is both fair to the taxpayer and a recognition of the financial pressures civil servants have faced over the last year.”