Unite members to decide on new civil servant compensation package
8 October 2010
Unite members will have the final say on the new civil servant
redundancy compensation package hammered out with the
government.
Unite, the largest union in the country, said that it wanted to
counter the impression from the Cabinet Office that it was ‘a done
deal’.
Unite said that originally the government wanted to cap
compulsory redundancy payments to a civil servant to 12 months
salary and voluntary payments to 15 months pay. In most cases, this
would have cut the existing entitlements by up to two thirds.
Under the new proposed deal that Unite will present to its
membership extra protection will be given to the lower paid, while
limiting payments for higher earners.
Unite’s national officer for government departments, Kevin Coyne
today (Friday 8 October) said: ”Unite has not backed the deal,
neither have the other four unions - Prospect, the FDA, the Prison
Officers Association, and the GMB.
”We are simply recommending this package as the best deal
achievable by negotiation. It is up to our members now to decide if
they wish to accept or reject this deal.
”What is clear is the current offer is not as good as that
agreed by the previous Labour government, but it is also not as bad
as that which this government sought to impose when it came into
office in May.
”It is up to our members to decide the next step and no deal
will be imposed on them by leaders of a trade union, especially not
Unite.”
The government had claimed that it had already reached an
agreement with a number of unions on a new compensation scheme for
civil servants.
Unite had spearheaded its campaign during the summer by saying
that thousands of civil servants could have their redundancy
payments slashed without proper parliamentary scrutiny.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further information, please ring Kevin Coyne on 07798 531006
and/or Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble, on 07768
693940.
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