Civil Service pay remit begins to address recruitment and retention issues in key areas

Steve Thomas, Deputy General Secretary of Prospect, responding to the publication of the Pay Remit Guidance for the Civil Service, said:

“Civil servants have seen huge erosion of their pay in the last 15 years. This remit may ensure that their incomes are not further eroded by inflation, but it will not resolve many of the wider recruitment and retention challenges currently faced by government for digital, scientific and specialist skills.

“This pay remit does begin to address this issue with recognition of scarce skills but on its own will not solve the yawning gaps on pay that exist in many areas where there are direct private sector comparators.

“The government still needs to come forward with a long-term strategic plan for how a reformed, transparent, properly evidence-based pay-setting process can repair the damage done by the short-sighted, politicised pay policies of previous governments.

“The focus must be to recruit, retain and develop the modern civil service workforce the government needs to deliver on its missions.”