Civil service pay restraint will have dire consequences

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Civil service pay restraint will have dire consequences for skills and morale, says Prospect

The Budget announcement that public sector pay rises will be held at 1% for each of the next four years has been condemned by Prospect as serving only to deepen the skills crisis in the civil service.



The union, which represents more than 29,000 specialists in the civil service, says that recruitment and retention of skilled specialists will now be even more difficult, and that the need to adopt a more flexible, less dogmatic approach to pay is now even more urgent.

Deputy general secretary Leslie Manasseh said: “There is no light at the end of the tunnel for our civil service members when it comes to pay. Today’s announcement by George Osborne will further undermine the morale of members who have seen a steady erosion of pay in real terms over the last few years.

“The Chancellor has rightly acknowledged the enormous efficiency savings that our members have achieved but has failed to reward them for it. It is hard to see how he can rely on the civil service to achieve similar savings over the next four years without offering any incentive.”

For further information contact:
Leslie Manasseh
020 7902 6682 (w)
07860 310483 (m)
[email protected]
 
Andrew Child
020 7902 6681 (w)
07803 008697 (m)
[email protected]