Strike: NIPSA says the appearance of the Head of the Civil Service at picket lines was a 'representation of support'

The head of Northern Ireland’s largest public sector union says that civil service boss Jayne Brady “came to show her support” at the picket line at Stormont yesterday, as the province was brought to a standstill as workers withdrew labour over pay.
General Secretary of Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA), Carmel Gates (left), speaking with Head of the NI Civil Service Jayne Brady on the picket line outside the gates of the Stormont Estate on Thursday, as an estimated 150,000 workers took part in walkouts over pay across Northern Ireland. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA WireGeneral Secretary of Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA), Carmel Gates (left), speaking with Head of the NI Civil Service Jayne Brady on the picket line outside the gates of the Stormont Estate on Thursday, as an estimated 150,000 workers took part in walkouts over pay across Northern Ireland. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
General Secretary of Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA), Carmel Gates (left), speaking with Head of the NI Civil Service Jayne Brady on the picket line outside the gates of the Stormont Estate on Thursday, as an estimated 150,000 workers took part in walkouts over pay across Northern Ireland. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

The civil service didn’t dispute the trade union’s view – saying the attendance of the Head of the Civil Service was consistent with her stance on public sector pay.

NIPSA General Secretary Carmel Gates told the News Letter: “She came to show her support and it was a visible representation of the support and regret shown in previous letters about the inability of senior civil servants to give their staff the award they are due. She sees civil servants as her staff. Heads of civil service across the water have said things like the head of the civil service should be able to make decisions about what happened with their staff and how pay awards are made. I would agree that this particular head of the civil service should have the power to determine, within affordability, what award her staff get”.

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The NIPSA boss added: "The members who were on the picket line were very grateful to see her, and they appreciate the gesture. It’s a very clear gesture from someone who has also written a letter to Chris Heaton-Harris – she hasn’t missed. I think her standing there, and allowing her picture to be taken was just a pictorial representation of what she has said in notes to staff. She sent a note to staff before Christmas which pulled no punches. As have others.”

Earlier this week a letter from Jayne Brady to the Secretary of State was leaked to the media. The letter requested “urgent action” to tackle public sector pay issues in Northern Ireland.

Other prominent civil servants Neil Gibson (Permanent Secretary of Finance), Katrina Godfrey (Permanent Secretary of DAERA) and Jill Minne (Head of HR) also met the striking workers at Stormont yesterday.

Carmel Gates said: “I’m taking that as a very clear message – which ties in with the message that she has given us previously when she and Neil Gibson issued regret at how poor the pay award is – that they are supportive”.

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The News Letter asked the NI Civil Service if Jayne Brady denied that attendance was an implicit endorsement of the strike and/or pay demands from the unions. A spokesperson said: “The Head of the Civil Service is on record for the need to address public sector pay and her engagement today is consistent with that stance.”

Senior civil servants will be involved in negotiations with unions in the event that Stormont is restored.

Unions have focused their pay demands on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris. Carmel Gates said: “If the Government, the Treasury, and Heaton-Harris do not take notice and offer the money that is needed for all the pay claims, then we will be back here, and we will get bigger and bigger.

“I said last September that there was a vacuum of leadership, and a vacuum of responsibility and that the trade union movement had stepped into that leadership role.

“We will stay in the leadership role until we get what we want”, she said.

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