UK civil servants unions to consider new pay offer

By Muvija M

LONDON (Reuters) – British trade unions representing civil servants said on Friday they would review a new pay offer from the government following several days of strikes this year in a long-running dispute.

The government said its one-off payment of 1,500 pounds ($1,878) for non-senior staff was part of the highest pay increase for the civil service in 20 years.

“This is both fair to the taxpayer and a recognition of the financial pressures civil servants have faced over the last year,” Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin said in a statement.

Trade unions including PCS, Prospect and FDA welcomed the offer, saying in separate statements after a meeting with Quin that they would review the details in the coming week.

Tens of thousands of civil servants, who work in government departments and agencies, have walked out on several occasions this year as they demand stronger pay rises to cope with a cost-of-living crisis.

Across Britain, workers in variety of sectors including healthcare, transport and education have gone on strike over the past year in separate pay disputes as inflation reached 40-year-highs.

Prospect said the government’s offer addressed the key issues “in principle”, while PCS, which has around 235,000 members, said it welcomed the government listening and responding to pay concerns.

“For the first time in many years, we have reached a tangible, positive outcome for the civil service which compares well with the rest of the public sector,” FDA General Secretary Dave Penman said.

“The (one-off) payment is a significant amount of money and will make a real difference to many civil servants struggling with the cost-of-living.”

($1 = 0.7988 pounds)

(Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)

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