The minister was keen to hear Prospect’s views on the type of pay policy it hopes will prevail in Scotland after the Scottish Budget is published in late November/early December.

Denney and Henderson emphasised the need to continue to pay progression increases to members, as well as a cost of living increase, and sought a reassurance that the guarantee of no compulsory redundancies would be extended into the next Scottish Parliament, which will run until 2021.

They also reminded Swinney that he himself had accepted in 2013 that pay constraints could not last forever and pushed for the Scottish Government to take action to deliver on that point.

The fact that more than £4.2 million is being spent on recruitment and retention payments in the wider administration supports Prospect’s argument that SG pay systems, some of which are nearly 20 years old, must be reviewed and realistic increases in pay scales delivered.

Prospect called on Swinney and the Scottish Government to make lifting the existing pay restraints an early objective if they form the next government.

Denney and Henderson reminded the Minister that the £21,000 threshold for additional increases had been fixed for a number of years and that many junior staff were now on the wrong side of the barrier. Prospect called for an increase in both the limit and the size of the minimum pay uplift.

In response the Minister indicated that he had concerns with the UK government position, specifically the dogma that had led to the setting a 1% cap in each of the next four years.

However, he felt that 2016 would be a very difficult year financially but that there would be less pressure thereafter.

He said he was not impervious to the issues raised and was aware that staff are leaving the Scottish government because of the levels of pay on offer.

Although he did not commit to an official position at the meeting, it appears that a short- term policy would emerge in the budget after next year’s Scottish elections with opportunities to develop the matter further.

It also seemed that he had taken note of Prospect’s concerns about pay systems and that we might see a policy directive instructing employers to commence the process.

The Minister said he would welcome a further meeting with Prospect and the other civil service unions around the time that the pay policy is to be published.