Agenda item

In accordance with notice on the agenda Councillor Michael Collins proposed:

“This Council notes the disappointing pay offer of a 1% non-consolidated pay increase for public sector workers. Given levels of inflation this amounts to a pay cut, and goes nowhere near far enough to reward workers for the valuable work they have carried out over the last 13 months of the pandemic. This offer is a slap in the face to staff and falls abysmally short of a fair and just pay offer. 

This decision will unfairly impact thousands of staff across the civil service, as well as employees of the Education Authority, Health and Social Services bodies and HSC Trusts, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Local Government, Libraries NI and a number of other public bodies and voluntary organisations. 

NIPSA, the main trade union representing public sector workers, has stated its opposition to this offer, and is engaging in a consultation period with members urging them to engage in industrial action to resist it. 

The Council supports the trade unions in their calls to reject this offer and demands a fair pay rise for public sector workers.

Any pay rise must be fully consolidated, as has been the case with staff in other regions of the UK, such as the Department for Work and Pensions in Britain whose staff received a 2.5% consolidated offer. There should be no continued pay disparity between staff in the north compared to those in Britain and staff here must be afforded the same incremental pay increases as other regions.

This Council resolves write to the Minister for Finance, Conor Murphy, urging him to go back to the negotiating table with a better offer. The Council also resolves to convene a meeting with NIPSA and the relevant trade unions to discuss how the Council, as a local government body, can assist the trade unions in their campaign for a fair pay deal for public sector workers.”

The motion was seconded by Councillor Matt Collins

Amendment

Moved by Councillor Garrett,

Seconded by Councillor Walsh,

      That the motion standing in the name of Councillor Michael Collins and seconded by Councillor Matt Collins be amended as follows:

“This Council welcomes the pay offer representing a 4.8% increase in the civil service pay bill over 2 years agreed by all parties in the Northern Executive;

Notes the pay freeze imposed on civil servants by the British Government and the standstill budget provided to the Northern Executive during a period of financial hardship for many;

Further notes the budget provided by the British Government which included a mere 1% increase for healthcare workers amounts to a slap in the face for those that have worked so valiantly during the ongoing pandemic;

Commits to write to the British Government asking them to review their budget allocation to the Executive and to stress to them the need for multi-year budgets with adequate resources to fund much needed pay increases to our health and social care and public sector staff.”

            The Council agreed to vote on the amendment to the motion, when forty-five Members voted for the motion and seven against and it was declared carried.

The following amended motion was thereupon put to the meeting as the substantive motion and passed:

“This Council welcomes the pay offer representing a 4.8% increase in the civil service pay bill over 2 years agreed by all parties in the Northern Executive;

Notes the pay freeze imposed on civil servants by the British Government and the standstill budget provided to the Northern Executive during a period of financial hardship for many;

Further notes the budget provided by the British Government which included a mere 1% increase for healthcare workers amounts to a slap in the face for those that have worked so valiantly during the ongoing pandemic;

Commits to write to the British Government asking them to review their budget allocation to the Executive and to stress to them the need for multi-year budgets with adequate resources to fund much needed pay increases to our health and social care and public sector staff.”

Standing Order 13(f)

During debate on the previous motion, the Council’s attention was drawn to the fact that the time was approaching 12.20 a.m.

Proposal

            Moved by Alderman Kingston,

            Seconded by Councillor Walsh,

Resolved – That the Council agreed that the remainder of the Motions, as set out in the agenda, would be referred, without presentation or discussion to the Committee’s noted below, in accordance with Standing Order 13(f).