FDA: Senior Civil Service pay systems creak at the seams while Government works at a snail’s pace

14 Sep 2018 12:27 PM

Commenting on the Government’s response to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) recommendations for Senior Civil Service (SCS) pay, FDA Assistant General Secretary Lucille Thirlby yesterday said:

“The Government’s response will leave SCS members feeling overwhelmed and undervalued. The SSRB recommended a significant overall 2.5% pay increase for senior civil servants, but the Government has only agreed to a maximum of 1.25%, making the civil service yet again the poor relation in the public sector.

“In its own evidence to SSRB, the Cabinet Office stated that SCS median salary is lower than the private sector, which increases with seniority within the SCS. Our members will feel further undervalued by the difference in pay between those hired from outside of the civil service, with a difference of 27.6% in median base pay between internal and external hires. This shows just how uncompetitive SCS pay levels are.

“This figure was revealed in the SSRB report and has never been published elsewhere by the Government. Given this disparity, the Government’s shameful lack of transparency on SCS pay data is not surprising.

“Year after year the Government has ignored independent advice and evidence about the urgency to resolve SCS pay. The Government is not addressing the fundamental issues – it only puts a sticking plaster over the open wound of ineffective pay structures. Meanwhile, the SCS pay systems creak at the seams as the Government works at a snail’s pace.

“The union welcomes the SSRB’s continuous attempts to improve the SCS pay system.  The Cabinet Office urgently need to develop fairer and more effective systems in consultation with the unions.”

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. 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.
  5. The Government's response can be found here. The SSRB report can be found here. The FDA's submission to the SSRB can be found here.
  6. There has also been a rise of 1.3% of the SCS gender pay gap from March 2017 to March 2018, according to ONS figures.