Prison officers and firefighters given ‘new’ pay deal

Friday 08 March 2019

Firefighters and prison officers have been made a new pay offer by the government.

The imposed pay offers for 2018 and 2019 haven’t changed under the new deal, but a 2020 pay increase of RPI (the rate of inflation) plus 1.3% has been made.

It’s the same offer which has so far been made to teachers, nurses and midwives, and police officers, and already proven controversial.

While the States of Jersey Police Association has recommended its members accept it, members of the National Education Union (NEU) decisively rejected it and announced on Friday afternoon that teachers across seven secondary schools will be striking in response in two weeks' time. 

Pictured: The offer was also put to nurses and midwives last week.

Nurses and midwives are still considering the offer.

In a statement, government officials explained of their latest offer to workers at the prison and Fire and Rescue Service: “Over the three years, the pay offer is worth 8.9% consolidated, plus 2.1% cash payments. This means that officers would receive between £2,778 and £6,305 in consolidated pay increases, plus between £659 and £1,497 in cash payments, depending on grade.

“The overall pay package includes a contributory pension scheme, into which the government contributes up to 16% of pensionable pay.

“Unions will now consult their members on the offer.”

The offer to firefighters comes after a long-running battle between their union and the States Employment Board (SEB), which sets workers' pay and terms and conditions, over pensions. They claimed that a new scheme would leave them worse off and sought compensation in the Employment Tribunal.

The SEB challenged them on this, but were recently told they had lost their case by the tribunal, who deemed their later appeal as "vexatious".