Northern Ireland civil servants appear set to join wave of industrial action after pay offer dubbed 'offensive' by Nipsa

The Department of Finance has admitted the offer is "below what staff and unions will expect in a very challenging year for the cost of living".

The trade union Nipsa, which represents the majority of Northern Ireland civil service workers, has already confirmed it is "proposing that we ballot for industrial action", including a strike.

The Department of Finance at Stormont announced the offer on Friday.

It had been long-awaited amid the political crisis at Stormont that delayed the passing of a budget - until the intervention of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris.

A spokesperson for the Department said a formal pay offer is now possible "following the announcement of a budget for Northern Ireland; the passage of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022; and publication of public sector pay guidance."

The spokesperson added: "Following the commencement of negotiations, recognised Civil Service trade unions on both industrial and non-industrial side have asked the Department to issue a final pay offer now."

The offer includes "contractual performance-related progression", and a commitment to increase the pay of the lowest paid staff "to the Living Wage Foundation rates of £10.90 an hour or £21,053 annually".

All eligible other staff, the department say, will receive "a consolidated increase of £552, subject to the detail in the written offer to unions."

A spokesperson for the Department admitted the offer is "below what staff and unions will expect in a very challenging year for the cost of living" but insisted the "budget position does not provide any additional scope to offer a higher pay award".

The Nipsa trade union, in a hard-hitting statement issued almost immediately following confirmation of the offer, said: "This offer of £552 is without doubt the most offensive and derisory offer that civil servants have ever received. The offer represents a pay cut for every civil servant.

"The offer is so low that special measures had to be taken to bring pay up to the living wage.

"Civil servants have received a significantly lower pay offer than those made to other public servants, (NJC workers offered £1,925, Health workers £1,400) so again, we have to ask the question - why are civil servants less valued by the government than other workers?"

Nipsa deputy general secretary, Maria Morgan, added: "If we wish to force the hand of the government, which is coming under pressure from other trade unions, then civil servants now need to join the action by those workers.

"If we want a fair pay rise, we will have to be in the fight.”

She added: "For that reason, Nipsa is recommending rejection of the offer and are proposing that we ballot for industrial action. The industrial action is likely to take the form of strike action and action short of strike action."