Civil servants to protest at cuts to redundancy pay being ‘sneaked
through’ by the coalition
6 September 2010
Thousands of civil servants could have their redundancy payments
slashed without proper parliamentary scrutiny, Unite, the largest
union in the country, warned today (Monday 6 September).
Hundreds of civil servants are due to lobby their MPs at the
House of Commons on Thursday, 9 September to protest at the
coalition’s plans to cut civil service redundancy terms by up to
two-thirds.
Unite’s national officer for government departments, Kevin
Coyne, accused ministers of trying to sneak through the cuts under
the guise of a ‘Money’ bill which does not demand the same level of
detailed parliamentary scrutiny.
Kevin Coyne said: ”What is also ironic is that nearly 30 Liberal
Democrat MPs signed Early Day Motions (EDMs) during the last
parliament expressing concerns about the future of the Civil
Service Compensation Scheme – chief amongst them the current
Treasury ‘axeman’, Danny Alexander. The whiff of hypocrisy is
wafting down Whitehall.“
Unite said that the government wants to cap compulsory
redundancy payments as a civil servant to 12 months salary and
voluntary payments to 15 months pay. In most cases, this will cut
existing entitlements by up to two thirds.
Kevin Coyne said: ”The current level of redundancy payments and
pensions are a recognition that civil servants receive less pay
than their counterparts in the private sector.
”We have Ministry of Defence members who are fully qualified
electricians, some of whom are currently working in very dangerous
conditions at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan and they often earn a
basic of £21,000 - several thousand pounds less than those working
for private sector contractors.
”It is clear that the civil servants are paying a terrible price
for the callous mistakes of the sleek City elite who have
contributed so greatly to the current economic crisis by their
reckless behaviour.“
Former Labour cabinet minister, Tessa Jowell, is due to address
members from the civil service trade unions on 9 September.
ENDS
Note to news editors:
For further information please ring Kevin Coyne on 07798 531006
and/or Unite communications officer Shaun Noble on 07768
693940.
Tessa Jowell is due to address the lobby in Committee Room 14 at
12.30pm on Thursday, 9 September.
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