Northern Ireland

MLA staff pay rise a 'slap in the face' for health workers says union

Parliament Buildings at Stormont, and inset, how The Irish News reported on the pay rise for MLA staff
Parliament Buildings at Stormont, and inset, how The Irish News reported on the pay rise for MLA staff Parliament Buildings at Stormont, and inset, how The Irish News reported on the pay rise for MLA staff

A BUMPER pay rise for MLA staff has been described by a trade union as a "slap in the face" for healthcare workers.

MLAs have given their constituency office workers an up to 63 per cent salary increase after abandoning having rules set by an independent panel.

Some staff, who can include party activists and assembly members' relatives, will see their salaries rise by thousands of pounds overnight.

The increased staff and constituency office expenses could cost taxpayers an additional £4.25 million a year.

The changes were announced on Thursday by the Assembly Commission, a body made up of MLAs from Stormont's five main parties.

Rules had previously been set by the Independent Financial Review Panel, but it was not reappointed after its term ended in 2016.

Unite regional officer Gareth Scott compared the swift changes with how health workers had to stage months of industrial action to secure better pay.

"News that assembly members have decided to remove the pay of their assistants from being determined by an independent panel – and proceed with an enormous 60 per cent uplift – is a real slap in the face for struggling health and social care workers in Northern Ireland," he said.

"Earlier this year it took repeated strikes by NHS workers in bitter conditions to win the concession of basic pay parity by the assembly."

He said that when it comes to MLAs' employees "it seems to be an entirely different set of rules apply".

"With the NHS three-year pay deal nearing its end, Unite is working together with our sister health unions to put pressure on the government to provide the funding for a fair and early pay rise for all NHS staff – including the many domestics, catering workers, security guards and other support staff working for outsourced companies."

Justin McCamphill from teachers' union NASUWT also expressed surprise.

"Teachers will certainly be surprised that there has been a significant increase in MLA staff and office cost allowances which is well in excess of inflation at a time when teacher pay has fallen significantly against inflation since 2010," he said.

Staff on the lowest grade will see their salaries rise by more than 30 per cent to £23,500, while middle-grade workers have a pay rise of almost 50 per cent to £29,400.

Top-grade workers, whose salary was previously capped at £22,750, can now be paid up to £37,180.

MLAs have also increased spending on their offices by more than 40 per cent to £7,000 per year.

The commission has enhanced the workers' conditions, entitling them six months sickness on full pay, in line with public sector workers.

People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll, who opposed allowing the Assembly Commission to set expenses, said it was "absolutely wrong for MLAs to grant themselves a £4m expenses bump".

The West Belfast MLA added that "it is exactly this kind of 'gravy train' politics that has left many thousands of people disillusioned with Stormont".

"The reality is there has been absolutely no due process, nor accountability in this decision-making process," he said.

The NI Assembly said the changes bring MLA constituency staff wages into line with other civil service employees.

Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey, who chairs the Assembly Commission, said the amended rules would "enable MLAs to carry out their legislative and constituency responsibilities in an appropriate, efficient and flexible way".

He said the commission and MLAs strongly believe their constituency office staff "should not be treated less favourably than assembly staff".

Mr Maskey also insisted the changes "in no way diminish the scrutiny and oversight that the Assembly Commission applies to all allowances that are available to MLAs".