New pay offer issued to government workers after multiple rejections

Previous offers have been described as 'unacceptable' and 'disgraceful'

The Public Services Commission has issued a new revised pay offer, following previous rejections by both unions representing public service workers.

The offer remains a three-year deal, a point of contention for both Unite and Prospect who both claim their suggestions are being disregarded.

Public sector workers, including civil servants and government employees, are being offered:

• 2024/25 – four percent
• 2025/26 – two and a half percent
• 2026/27 – two percent

The offer is a 0.75 percent improvement on the previous pay offer for the 2024/25 period, but offers remain unchanged for the subsequent years.

A condition remains for the years 2025/26 and 2026/27, where if March’s consumer inflation is one percent higher or lower than two percent, negotiations will reopen.

The increase would be backdated to 1 April 2024 for all employees still in post on the date the pay agreement is signed.

Any staff who left employment before that date would not receive the pay award.

Annual leave for staff with 10 years of service will also be increased from 28 to 30 days per year.

Trade union Prospect believes the offer for the latter two years is inadequate, and ballots are being sent to members, with results expected after 3 November.