A PAY offer for civil servants in Northern Ireland has been dismissed as “offensive and derisory” by a trade union.
With Stormont still in limbo, the pay offer was made by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton Harris who passed a budget from Westminster.
Under the terms, the lowest paid workers would see their wages increase to £21,053 a year, in line with the living wage foundation of £10.90 an hour.
An increase of £552 is available to all other eligible staff and also includes contractual performance-related progression.
It is reported that the average salary of full time civil servants in Northern Ireland last year was £28,706.
This would make the offer of an extra £552 equivalent to an extra 1.9 per cent, far behind the current rate of inflation which was set at 10.7 per cent in November.
In a message to workers, Nipsa Deputy General Secretary Maria Morgan said: “This offer on each pay point is without doubt the most offensive and derisory offer that you will have ever received.”
Encouraging members to reject the offer and consider industrial action, she called it “shameful” that special measures were needed to bring the lowest paid staff up to the minimum wage.
“As previously highlighted, if we wish to force the hand of government, which is coming under pressure from other trade unions, then civil servants now need to join the action by those workers.”
She added: “If we want a fair pay rise, we will have to be in the fight.”
Nipsa has now recommended a ballot for industrial action, which Ms Morgan said was likely to result in strike action or action short of striking.
Members have now been asked to hold meetings with their union branches up to January 19.
In an email to civil servants, the Department of Finance's top official Neil Gibson said it was "a matter of deep personal regret" that the pay offer was not higher.
"I wish the pay offer could have gone much further, however, we are constrained by the very difficult budgetary position," he said.
"The offer is in no sense a reflection of how you and your work are valued by the Northern Ireland Civil Service."
The department added that the offer will cost around £26.8 million, 2.7 per cent of the pay bill, and was affordable in line with public sector pay guidance.
