Union lodges dispute over public sector pay freeze

Prospect negotiates on behalf of civil servants, learning support assistants, Guernsey Border Agency staff and air traffic controllers.

The P&R president touched on public sector pay and a terms and conditions review in his speech to the Assembly yesterday, but failed to mention the dispute.

At the end of December, P&R announced it was imposing pay deals on all the different unions.

Nurses have voted to accept a 5% rise for this year, following the same rise in 2019 and 2020.

Public sector employees were the other group offered a rise in 2021 of 2.4%.

The committee cited the state of public finances because of the pandemic. The package of freezes for 2021 also included rises for 2020.

A spokesman for Prospect said: ‘Following the decision of the Policy & Resources Committee to impose, without negotiation or agreement, pay awards in respect of 2020 and 2021, Prospect registered a dispute with the industrial disputes officer.

‘Both parties are working with the IDO to resolve the dispute, which affects all civil servants and other States’ employees that Prospect represents such as learning support assistants, Guernsey Border Agency staff and air traffic controllers.’

There are the equivalent of 1,779 full-time posts in the civil service, which had a 2% rise imposed for last year as part of the package.

There are 221 full-time equivalent learning support assistants, a group told by P&R that it would get 2% with 0.8% top-up in 2020; the 21 FTE air traffic controllers were to get 2% in 2020 as were the Guernsey Border Agency, which has 66 FTEs.

The deficit in States finances for last year has now been estimated at between £25m. and £30m., including losses at Aurigny, an improvement on when the pay deals were announced.

Yesterday, P&R president Peter Ferbrache updated members on a series of projects he had outlined as priorities for action when he spoke in November.

P&R member Deputy David Mahoney is leading on the committee’s work in its role as an employer, in respect of terms and conditions.

‘There have been meetings over the last few months with representatives from various trade unions across all 14 pay groups within the public sector work force,’ said Deputy Ferbrache.

‘Fourteen separate groups. That is too many. These meetings have provided opportunity for the parties to engage in dialogue and for employee representatives to understand further the reasons for the decision taken by the committee on pay for 2021. It is clear that we must take action on addressing variations in terms and conditions – we are actively doing that.’

The Budget put aside £18m. to cover pay rises in 2020 and 2021 and other emergency spending.