FDA: Don't let Truss's dog-whistle tactics hide human impact of public sector exit pay cap

10 Apr 2019 11:12 AM

FDA General Secretary Dave Penman responded to the Government’s announcement of a cap on exit payments for public servants 

"Not satisfied with previous cuts to the pay, pensions and redundancy arrangements of public servants, the Government is now imposing a further attack on redundancy terms. It is completely disingenuous of Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary of the Treasury, to dress this up as a way to 'stop large pay-outs for senior managers'.

"As she knows all too well, when the Conservatives first mooted this arbitrary cap in 2015, it included protection for those earning less than £27,000 a year. Not only has this protection been abandoned, but it demonstrates that their blunt approach to capping redundancy payments will hurt teachers, police officers, fire fighters, doctors, paramedics and other individuals serving the public. 

"It is disappointing that a Government Minister - who day in, day out witnesses the incredible job that public servants do for her Government - would use the dog-whistle tactics of demonising senior managers to hide the true impact of her policy."

Six-figure taxpayer-funded public sector exit payments to end 

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 Officer Tommy Newell on 020 7401 5588 or 07738 729 145 or email on tommy@fda.org.uk
FDA Communications Officer Laura Gilbert on 020 7401 5589 or email on laura.gilbert@fda.org.uk