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The High Court yesterday agreed to expedite the FDA’s application for Judicial Review over civil service pay.

Alongside PCS and Prospect, the FDA is seeking the Judicial Review over the Government’s failure to consult the unions appropriately over the 2018 Civil Service Pay Guidance.

We applied to have proceedings expedited on the grounds that the issues contained in the review application were time-critical, as civil service employers are now relying on this guidance to inform their pay offers for this year.

The court accepted our arguments and has agreed to seek a date to consider our application as quickly as possible, which is likely to be around the week commencing 1 October 2018.

Following the High Court’s decision, FDA General Secretary Dave Penman said:

“We’re grateful that the High Court has agreed that these issues require urgent consideration. Civil service employers have begun their headlong rush to impose the new pay cap of 1.5% with few even considering the option available to them of a business case to the Treasury for higher awards.

“Rather than opposing this action, Ministers should recognise that 400,000 civil servants delivering vital public services deserve better treatment than the imposition of the lowest pay increases in the public sector.”

FDA General Secretary Dave Penman, PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka and Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy have issued a joint statement, which can be viewed here.

Notes for editors

1. The FDA is the union for senior managers and professionals in public service, representing more than 18,000 members at grades HEO and above. Membership includes senior civil servants, government policy advisors, prosecutors, diplomats, tax professionals, economists, solicitors and other professionals working across the 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. The FDA can be found on Twitter @FDA_union and at www.fda.org.uk. General Secretary Dave Penman tweets as @FDAGenSec
4. For more information contact FDA Communications Manager Kay Hender on 07980 700747 or Communications Officer Tommy Newell on 07738 729145.