Unions write to new Civil Service chief after legal challenge fails

Joint letter from general secretaries pushes for urgent meeting on civil service pay

Prospect, PCS, and the FDA have written to the new head of the civil service, Sir Mark Sedwill, asking for an urgent meeting following the failure of a judicial review launched by civil service unions on the pay remit guidance.

The unions had argued that the guidance, which sets civil service pay at 1-1.5%, was drawn up without consultation with the unions and must be withdrawn. The government’s defence was that they had never intended to consult with unions.

The judgement from the court was that the unions had made a “forceful case” but they eventually found in favour of the government.

In the joint letter, Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka, and FDA general secretary Dave Penman write:

“Whatever our differences, we have always sought to engage positively on behalf of members even in the face of the most difficult of circumstances.

“However, such engagement is only possible where there is a level of trust and confidence.

“That trust and confidence has been destroyed by the behaviours of the Cabinet Office over the pay remit guidance.

“The behaviours demonstrated would not be acceptable in the private sector and the civil service is the only area of the public sector where such an approach is adopted.

“Government should be an exemplar of good practice not bad.”

In an email to Prospect members in the civil service deputy general secretary Garry Graham said:

“Whatever the result of the Judicial Review- we are not going away and will continue to argue for a fair deal for our members.”

The full letter can be found here: https://library.prospect.org.uk/download/2018/01874

The email can be found here: https://prospecttradeunion.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/d/9A408F8BAC32BA922540EF23F30FEDED