Progress on diversity and inclusion ‘will only be achieved by full co-operation between unions and civil service’, says FDA

Friday 26 Jun 2015 @ 13:25
FDA

In response to the National Audit Office (NAO) Equality, diversity and inclusion in the civil service report published yesterday, which states that progress has "plateaued more recently" and that "at senior civil service level, white middle-class males still predominate", FDA Equality and Diversity Officer Roland Zollner said:

"The FDA has maintained for a long time that the civil service culture is currently not as welcoming and inclusive as it should be to enable those with the right talents to progress to the highest levels.

"The union supports the drive to make the civil service reflect our increasingly diverse society. However, the FDA believes that these changes will only be achieved by full co-operation between unions and the civil service seeking to deliver this common agenda.

"Outgoing Civil Service Diversity Champion Sir Simon Fraser commented at the relaunch of the TAP that 'we can only achieve this if we challenge ourselves', but the civil service and the Government need to understand that one of the strongest challenges in this area will come from trade unions. The FDA looks forward to working with both the civil service and the Government to enable the delivery of their objectives."

Notes for editors

1. The FDA is the trade union for the UK's senior public servants and professionals. FDA membership includes more than 18,000 senior civil servants, Government policy advisors, prosecutors, diplomats, tax professionals, economists, solicitors and other professionals working across Government and the NHS.

2. The FDA (formerly the First Division Association) should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior public servants' union".

3. More about the FDA's 'New Government: New Deal' campaign can be found at www.fda.org.uk/New-Government-New-Deal

4. The FDA can be found on Twitter @FDA_union and at www.fda.org.uk.

5. For further information contact:

Roland Zollner, FDA Equality and Diversity Officer, tel: 07946 481128.
Kay Hender, FDA Communications Manager, tel: 020 7401 5555 or 07980 700747.

Channel website: https://www.fda.org.uk/

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