A PAY award to "help" the Civil Service become a `living wage employer' with improved benefits - including increased paternity leave - has been implemented.
Agreed by the executive at a cost of £44 million over two years, the backdated 2020 award is 4.8 per cent increase of the total paybill. It will see a one per cent increase on pay scales with a three per cent "non-consolidated, non-pensionable payment" to staff in the lowest grades and a one per cent such payment "plus progression" to eligible staff at other grades.
For 2021 there is a further one per cent increase on pay scales and the three per cent payment to lowest grade staff and `progression' to other eligible staff.
Finance Minister Conor Murphy said it is in contrast to England which has a public sector pay freeze for 2021/22.
"The pay award makes a number of improvements to the terms and conditions of civil servants, such as increasing paternity pay from two days to two full weeks' pay," he said.
"This will encourage staff to take time off work to bond with, and assist in the care of, their child in the important early days."
Mr Murphy said it has been made with a "standstill budget from Westminster" and said it "strikes a difficult balance between recognising the hard work of staff while ensuring sufficient budget is available for essential public services".
