Unions in last-ditch warning over £100m government savings

Wednesday 27 November 2019

A major civil service union has urged politicians to think twice about approving the government’s plans this week to make £100m of savings by encouraging staff over 55 to leave the organisation, and cutting down on overtime, among other measures.

The eleventh-hour warning, which was shared with all 49 States Members in a letter, came on the first day of States Members debating the Government Plan for the next four years.

The document lays out the Council of Ministers’ spending priorities over the next four years and the cuts and savings that will fund them.

However, JCSA Prospect – one of the unions representing the civil servants that will be tasked with delivering them – has hit out at the government for failing to work with them on the savings plans.

Pictured: JCSA Prospect wrote to all 49 members of the States Assembly.

They said that trust had been “eroded” as a result of the long-running dispute over pay, adding that the savings plans may hit morale further – particularly given that they don’t make any commitments regarding pay awards and additional resources to keep workloads manageable as the Government Plan is delivered. 

“It is of great concern to us that the proposed government plan does not contain any details to enable us to establish what provision has been put in place for public sector pay awards throughout the period.  

“Unless there is some form of financial commitment within the budgets for future years, the States Employment Board will again be in the position of not having adequate funds approved to offer cost of living pay awards,” the letter read.  

Pictured: The union expressed concerns over civil servants' ability to deliver the ambitious Government Plan without additional help.

Against this context, JCSA Prospect added that it was particularly concerned by some of the money-saving headcount management measures proposed, including:

• targeting people over the age of 55 and encouraging them to leave the organisation
• targeting overtime – which is often used because resources are stretched
• reductions in staff numbers
• proposed sickness management policies

The letter therefore concluded that the impact of the Efficiency Plan on the public sector ought to be better considered before it is enforced. 

“Given the level of political oversight of the plan, it is disappointing that these efficiency savings were developed with absolutely no consultation with the unions. 

“Staff morale is at an all-time low. We would encourage ministers to engage with us to develop their understanding of how the proposed efficiency measures will affect the people working within their portfolios.”