​Letter: When will Jayne Brady be held accountable for backing public sector trade union strike?

A letter from Alan S Carson:
Northern Ireland has seen a wave of strike action in the past few months. Head of the civil service Jayne Brady was seen at the picket lines in JanuaryNorthern Ireland has seen a wave of strike action in the past few months. Head of the civil service Jayne Brady was seen at the picket lines in January
Northern Ireland has seen a wave of strike action in the past few months. Head of the civil service Jayne Brady was seen at the picket lines in January
By Letters
Published 17th Feb 2024, 00:00 BST

Now that Stormont is finally back up and running, could someone please explain why the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service recently took sides against her employer in the NIO to back a public sector trade union stoppage?

Because, according to the civil service code, impartiality is defined as serving all governments of different political persuasions equally.

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A basic principle of which is not to undertake any activity which could call into question their political impartiality or give rise to criticism that public resources are being used for partisan political purposes.

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Letter to the editor

Furthermore, civil servants are held accountable by government ministers and speak on behalf of ministers, not in their own right, which in the case of Northern Ireland surely means the secretary of state and the NIO or the Northern Ireland Executive when it is functioning.

So, as the Belfast News Letter continues to contemplate the long-term consequences of strikes within the public sector, was I alone in observing the absurdity of the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Jayne Brady attending a trade union picket line seemingly to express her support for workers demanding equal pay from their employer?

Because, back in the day as a young man, and a mere clerical officer, yours truly was unceremoniously suspended, disciplined and effectively demoted for the crime of participating in perfectly peaceful protests against the Anglo Irish Agreement of 1985 – then left to rot for 20 long years in the lower echelons before finding solace and peace of mind in the private sector.

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Jill Minne, head of human resources in the civil service, also met striking workers on January 18.

I note that the News Letter asked the civil service about the fact that union leader Carmel Gates said: “I’m taking that as a very clear message – which ties in with the message that [Ms Brady] has given us previously when she and Neil Gibson [another senior civil servant] issued regret at how poor the pay award is – that they are supportive.”

You reported that a spokesperson for the civil service declined to counter any such interpretation of their presence, and 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.”

So, when will Jayne Brady be made accountable?

And, in light of recent developments, how can we depend on it to be genuinely impartial in the event of future constitutional uncertainty?

Alan S Carson, Castlereagh

Related topics:NIONorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland Executive